Living Southern

Billboard Music Awards

2011-05-23T07:00:00.018-05:00

It looks like I picked the right day to come out of my blogging shell...just in time for the Billboard Music Awards! Yee Haw!

Rhianna opens with one of the most vulgar songs played on the radio today. And now I have to send Maddie out of the room. (It's not at all obvious that I'm quickly approaching middle age, is it?)

And there's Britney! She looks like she's been taking her meds regularly. Yay, Brit Brit!

Random Fact: The Billboard Music Awards are live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I stayed there when I got married. But not when I got divorced.

Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, Eminem, and Susan Boyle all nominated for Billboard 200 Album Artist. If that isn't a random group I don't know what is.

Elvis in Las Vegas. How original!

Maddie's back in the room just in time to see The Bieb win. She's now explaining to me why he and Selena Gomez make a great couple. She should know. She reads Tiger Beat.

And here come The Black Eyed Peas. Fergie's dress is by Lite Brite. An ode to her younger Kids, Incorperated days, perhaps?

Keith Urban. Yum. My.

Ken Jeong isn't funny. Bless his heart.

Tim Allen! Not as yummy as Keith, but I was able to identify him without Google's help (unlike Ken and the last two guys that sang).

Wonderful tribute to Beyonce. She is a class act. And what a performance! And then her mama got to present her award. How sweet!

And now I'm a little bored.

Still bored. And trying to figure out who the guys with Snoop Dogg are. I don't even care enough to Google it.

Justin Beiber wins again. I wonder what his Plan B is when his voice changes?

Ok, I'm giving up. Either I'm old and cynical or this is just terrible. I'm blaming it on no Lady Gaga.

Hello!

2011-05-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

I know, I know.

It's been eons since I last posted. I seemed to have lost my blogging mojo for a while, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things shortly. (And this includes visiting and COMMENTING on all of YOUR blog posts, too!)

Our lives around here the last few months could be summed up with one word:

DANCE.

When we last chatted, Maddie had just finished her starring performance as Clara in The Nutcracker.

January involved lots of extra classes for both her regular dance studio and her competition team.

February involved more practice and two weekends of dance competition in Biloxi and New Orleans.

March was even more practices.

April included two dance recitals (in addition to ALL the practice).

And that brings us to May. After two dance recitals last weekend, we have put away our dance shoes, tights, and leotards for three glorious weeks. In June, we have a dance intensive with the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet and then we get ready for the Miss Mississippi Pageant. Maddie is dancing again as part of Miss MS's princess program and I'll be working backstage- complete with my own headset and all black ensemble. Add two more dance intensives at our own dance studios and that pretty much sums up our summer plans and gets you all up to date on life around these parts.

Now, aren't you glad I've been quiet? Instead of 3-4 months of nonstop dance talk you get one post.

You're welcome.

Pictures!

2010-12-14T13:28:00.000-06:00

I know you've all been chomping at the bit for my second post about our Disney World trip (ha ha!) and now that The Nutcracker is finally over I'll get to it soon (and never fear, there will be a post on that, too), but first, I wanted to show you some pics we had made before we left for all the grandparents' Christmas presents.

Disney World 2010 Part 1

2010-12-06T21:29:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know that I've been back over a week now, but this is honestly the first chance I've had a chance to sit down and download pics...and what's a trip recap without pics?

It's boring.

It's probably boring to all of the rest of you, too (with the exception of about three people) but he we go:

Our plane finally landed in Orlando, and as you can see Maddie is super excited to be back in the land of Princesses and pixie dust. As you can also see, Marley (to the left) is super excited to have a column to hide behind while she poops.

Waiting in line for the Magical Express (the first of many, MANY lines we'll wait in this week). Stickers are our friend.

Finally onboard the bus. Marley believes this is the Happiest Place on Earth before stepping foot in the park. Big buses with no car seats.

On our way to the resort! My sister, Courtney, and Marley (or Bob, as I like to call her). I think those sunglasses would look so cute on me. She better not leave them unattended.

Cheesy, but so true.

Bob checking out the room while she munches on her leftover chicken nuggets.

So maybe this isn't the most reviting vacation recap thus far, but Blogger is taking a ridiculous amount of time to load pictures and I'm fading fast. This is our last week of Nutcracker rehearsal before Maddie's big debut as Clara on Sunday and naturally, she's sick. For some reason, her body thinks she's an infant again and she has The Croup. I just made her sit in her bathroom with the hot shower running and then made her sit outside in the frigid cold to see if she may start to sound semi human again instead of the barking seal she's been imitating all day. Please cross your fingers and say a prayer for her. She's worked SO hard over the last couple of months and I want her to enjoy this week and not spend it at the pediatrician's office.

Stay tuned for part two and an explanation as to why you haven't seen the other half of our group yet.

There is No Excuse for Laziness this Year

2010-11-30T18:50:00.000-06:00

It's been four years since I've sent out any Christmas cards. I'm really ashamed and I wish I had a good explanation for my laziness, but honestly, there is none. Not any good ones at least.

The other day on Twitter I saw that Shutterfly was offering 50 Christmas cards free to bloggers. It's as if the Christmas card gods were telling me to get off my rear and SEND OUT SOME CARDS TO ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. And who am I to argue with that?!

I've ordered calendars for the grandparents the last couple of years from Shutterfly so I know that they're all about quality. In fact, 12 Months of Maddie is now a required gift every year. There is no way that I'll get around NOT doing it ever again. (Which reminds me...I really need to get busy on that!)

After getting on the Shutterfly website and looking around at all the options, I realize now that I should be kicked for not doing this sooner. There are so many! It's Christmas card heaven!

I love this one.

And this one.

And this one, too.

Picking my favorite has been way harder than I thought.

They also have super cute cards for Holiday Parties and any other party or gift needs. I'm impressed and I bet you will be too!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T17:19:00.000-06:00

...to all of you! I'm so thankful for all of my sweet blog friends. I'll be back soon with an update and lots of Disney pics!

Today I am Thankful...

2010-11-10T20:47:00.000-06:00

For a job that allows me to take Maddie to school every morning and to be apart of all her extra stuff in the afternoons. This Monday-Friday stuff ROCKS. I had no idea what I've been missing out on all these years!

Today I Am Thankful...

2010-11-09T21:14:00.000-06:00

For a mom who lives across the street and makes dinner for us 3-4 times a week. I'm not really sure where this version of my mom was when I was growing up, but I'm not complaining. I definitely appreciate it more know than I would've 15 years ago. It lightens my load a TON.

I'm hoping that she'll really take pity on me and do something about the never-ending pile of laundry in there.

An Update. Because Those are the Only Posts I Know How to Write Anymore

2010-10-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

- First off, I have to do a bit of bragging. Maddie tried out for the role of Clara in this year's performance of The Nutcracker at her dance studio and after an entire week of ~~patiently~~ waiting, we found out on Thursday night that she got the part! After lots of cheers and celebrating, the news has finally sunk in that, as much as we've felt like our life revolved around dance, we really have had no idea how much worse it could be. So all the complaining I've done about not having time to post? It's about to get a lot worse.

- The new job is still going great and I'm finally getting the hang of clinic life and all that it entails. I've traded Babyland for Speculumland and as much as I miss delivering babies, the benefits to having an 8-5 job with a preteen with an overabundance of extra curricular activities is too numerous to list. For the first time in a long time, I'm a full time mom again and it's awesome (mostly).

- Since we're all friends here, I'd like to say this: Hello, my name is Casey and I'm addicted to Angry Birds on my iPhone.

- Maddie has Stanford Achievement Tests this week and she informed me today that she must have a nutritious breakfast every morning before school. Poptarts count, right? Because, HELLO! Fruit!

- We're finalizing the last of our plans for Disney World and as of today, we have 47 days to go before we leave! And if you're tired of hearing about it already, I apologize in advance for the amount of talking I'll be doing immediately before/during/after our trip.

So there you have it. My life is super busy, yet still super boring to read about. Maybe it's a good thing I haven't been posting regularly.

Reason #268 Why I Love Twitter

2010-09-22T19:07:00.000-05:00

I followed a link on Twitter the other day and found this website. It's hilarious because it's SO true for most of us Southern girls. See what you think.

VMA Outtakes

2010-09-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

It's VMA time again and you know what that means...

Highlights and not-so-highlights according to moi. So let's get right to it:

- Lady Gaga opens the night with a win for Best Female Video. No huge surprise there. As usual, her outfit is over the top, but that's what we expect. You know what I think would be an even bigger shocker? If she showed up next year in a pantsuit and sensible shoes.

- Out of all the nominees for Best Rock Video, I only recognized the name of one group. This makes me think that I'm too old to be watching MTV.

- Justin Beiber takes the stage and Maddie appears out of nowhere. Coincidence? I don't think so. I wish I could tell you something else about his performance, but she has planted herself in front of the TV and I can't see a thing.

- Ke$ha may not irritate me so much if she had a real name.

- Usher knows how to work the crowd and the dance floor. And his abs (which are unfortunately covered up tonight).  For the record, I think he and Chili from TLC should get back together.

- I recognized all the nominees for Best Male Video, which makes me feel a little less like Grandma Moses.

- Confession: I love the song Billionaire.

- As much as I enjoy Chelsea Handler, I will never let my child watch anything she does. (She was out of the room as soon as The Bieb exited Stage Right.)

- Justin Timberlake! Now there's someone I recognize without any help from Google.

- I think my favorite performer of the night may be the Mickey Mouse-esque DJ.

- I didn't understand all the lyrics, but Taylor Swift's (somewhat off key) performance seemed like a big 'ole middle finger directed somewhere in the vicinity of Kanye West's seat.

- Another Confession: I watch Jersey Shore. Religiously.

- Justin Beiber wins! Too bad Maddie is already in the bed. I wonder what his mother thinks about him listening to Chelsea Handler and all the other vulgarity.

- Cher is still rocking the black leather jacket and...not much else. You have to hand it to her though; not many 112 year olds would have the nerve to do it.

- You know what this show is missing? Pink.  Swinging from the rafters.

- And the night ends with Kanye. I don't have much to say about it, other than the ballerinas did a beautiful job. And that I'm appalled that he wrote a song to apologize to Taylor Swift and littered it with the word d*****bags.

- Man, I'm glad this night is over.

Homework: Even Less Fun the Second Time Around

2010-09-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

You know, you try to be a good blogger and post on a somewhat regular schedule after being a slacker and BAM. Life starts to get in the way.

And by life I mean 4th grade homework.

Seriously.

The fact that I'm home every night to help with homework may be the only downfall to this new job. Since Maddie started school, I've worked 12 hour shifts and my fabulous mom, ex-MIL, and ex-GMIL have always made sure that her homework was done every night by the time I got home. Little did I know how wonderful that really was.

It's not that there is so much that it takes us hours to finish it, but I do find myself spending a great deal of time re-teaching myself the lessons (and by the way, when in the world did 9 year olds start doing ALGEBRA?) so I can figure out how to help her. Heaven help us when she starts Geometry.

This is just more proof that becoming a parent has made me stupid.

Or that I should've paid a little more attention in Mrs. O'Neal's class instead of doodling I *heart* Jordan McKnight all over my notebook.

This and That

2010-08-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

- After neglecting this blog over the last few weeks (months?), I'm ready to get back into it. I miss having a regular outlet to vent (or just ramble) and I'm missing all of you terribly! Starting this week, I'm going to make it a priority to update more and keep better tabs on what the rest of you in Blogland are up to. I'm also going to stop ending sentences with prepositions. Or not.

- I've been at my new job a total of three weeks now and I'm really enjoying it so far! Clinic work is totally different from L&D (I've moved from Baby Land to Speculum Land), but I'm home every night with Maddie and I'm able to take her to school every day. It has been the answer to so many of my prayers and I am so thankful!

- Speaking of Maddie, 4th grade is now in full swing and we're slowly readjusting to being on a regular schedule. She loves her classes and her teachers and is still in the Only Having to be Told Once to Get Out of the Bed in the Morning Stage, which is lovely; however, her attitude leaves a lot to be desired. If this is only a fraction of what I'll be dealing with once puberty hits full force, I'm not sure we'll make it. She is killing me!

- Remember in this post I told you that we were going to Walt Disney World in November and staying at the Old Key West Resort? Well, we're still going, but we'll be staying here instead. Why, you ask? Because I'm an idiot and made the reservations for the wrong dates, that's why. Luckily, there were still available 2 bedroom villas available so no one will have to sleep in the bathtub. I really amaze myself sometimes. And not in a good way. Bless my heart.

- I got these shoes here for over $100 off yesterday. I realize that they're summer and we're well on our way into fall (in theory, if not in actual temperature) but there was NO way I could pass these up. Humor me and tell me how jealous you are and how cute they'll look on me. And yes, I realize they're just glorified flip flops but they're going to give me at least 2 extra inches of height and that is HUGE for a girl who just barely make the cut to ride roller coasters.

It's Official...

2010-08-03T17:20:00.000-05:00

We're going to Disney World in November! This trip is going to be a bit different than the previous trips we've taken. First of all, there are going to be EIGHT of us. It will be me, Maddie, my mom, my sister, Marley (my niece), my ex-MIL, and my two ex-SILs.

Yes, I love my ex's family to pieces and couldn't be happier that they were going with us. Is that weird? Oh, well.

Secondly, we're going all out this time and staying here in a two bedroom villa. The best part is that it's not really costing us any more than it would cost to stay at one of the value resorts on Disney property thanks to a website that I found that connects you with members of the Disney Vacation Club that are interested in renting their unused points (timeshare). It takes a little more time than booking through the Disney site or Expedia, but the benefits are definitely worth it.

Thirdly, we're going to be able to experience Disney at Christmas, which I've always wanted to do. Nobody does Christmas like Disney and I can't wait to see it firsthand!

A Post

2010-07-18T21:17:00.000-05:00

Since it's been eons since I last posted, one might think that I would have tons to tell you all about what life has been like in our little neck of the woods over the last couple of weeks.

But, one might be wrong.

We survived the Miss Mississippi Pageant and all of the various and sundry production meetings, autograph parties, rehearsals, preliminary competitions, and parades associated with it. Instead of working with the prince and princesses this year, I worked backstage (Stage Left, to be exact) which was an entirely different world than I was accustomed to. (Apologies to my junior high and high school English teachers for ending that last sentence with a preposition. I'll try harder next time.) Thankfully, I made all my cues and it turned out to be an excellent show. I was rewarded by having my name listed in the credit roll at the end of the televised show on Saturday night.

I was probably a wee bit more excited about that than I ever admitted. Until now.

Anyhoo.

I have now recovered and life has returned to normal (for the next couple of weeks, at least). As of Friday I officially accepted a new job working in a clinic and will join the rest of world that works normal hours.

And do you know what that means?!

NO NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, OR HOLIDAYS!

I'm seriously not sure what it's going to be like to have a life again.

Hopefully, it will include learning how to crank out a reasonably interesting blog post or two.

Until then, have a great week, everybody!

For Marianne

2010-06-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday, and thanks to my fabulous aunt who just returned from a whirlwind trip across Europe (I'm only a little bitter) I got this. It's not easy to tell by the pic, but it's pearl and absolutely beautiful. It's also been blessed by the Pope. And that makes my little Catholic heart happy.

Another Reason to Love WDW

2010-06-25T19:36:00.000-05:00

photo found here

I may have mentioned a time or two how much I love Disney World. I'm putting in a request now for my birthday. I think it's safe to say that there will be no Winnie the Pooh sweatshirts to be found in this area of the park. Holy cow.

I am dying...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-15T23:31:00.000-05:00

The Virus, The Beach, and Oil

2010-06-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

Hello, my long lost Blog Friends! We've been on the go non-stop and I've missed you all terrribly over the last couple of weeks. After a successful pageant week, I worked like crazy at work to finish up the last few computer training classes that I had to teach so that we can all be ready to go when our new system goes live next week. To reward myself, I headed off to the beach on Friday for a couple of days to meet up with my mom, sister, niece, Maddie, two family friends, and their kids only to fall prey to the nasty stomach virus within a few hours of arriving. Needless to say, I did not step foot out of the condo until it was time to leave to come home on Sunday. Good times.

On a sad note, we saw firsthand how the oil spill will devastate the Gulf Coast. By the time we left Sunday morning, there were crews in Haz Mat suits beginning the clean up efforts. As a lifelong Southerner, I've spent every summer vacation in Destin, Seaside, and Ft. Walton Beach in Florida and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach in Alabama. It breaks my heart to see what is happening there. One of my biggest fears is that Maddie won't get to bring her kids here when she's a mother one day. I pray that that's not the case, but right now I'm not too optimistic.

I hope that y'all are all doing ok. By the looks of my reader, I have a lot of catching up to do! Can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Look! A Post!

2010-05-26T20:32:00.000-05:00

It stinks that I get a fabulous new blog design and then promptly get so busy that I have absolutely no time to post. I'm sure that I sound like a broken record but, sadly, it's true. This working five days a week is for the birds when you still end up having to work 12 hour shifts. I'm frantically trying to get loose ends at work tied up since I'll be out all week next week for the Outstanding Teen Pageant (those of you that were around last year may remember that I'm the princess ~~wrangler~~ coordinator). Don't ask me why I'm taking off a week from work so that I can basically babysit other people's kids- it makes no sense to me either. I do have to admit that it's a fun week, just extremely exhausting.

I mentioned in my last post that Maddie was trying out for a competitive dance team. AND SHE MADE IT! It's a great opportunity and we're so excited. Although, I may need to sell a kidney (or at least part of my liver) to pay for it all. I keep telling her it's high time that she got a job and started pulling her weight around here, but those pesky child labor laws are really putting a damper on my plans.

I hope y'all are having a good week! Be back soon!

Time for a Change

2010-05-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

So, how do I look?!

Once again, Erin at Designer Blogs out did herself. I LOVE the way my new design turned out and I figured a new design deserved a brand spankin new name. It's exactly what I wanted, which is amazing since I didn't even really know what I wanted. I could not recommend Designer Blogs enough.

Check them out. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Clever Titles are Overrated

2010-05-15T16:23:00.000-05:00

This week has been beyond crazy, although I don't know why I'm surprised since it seems to be a pretty common occurance these days. Between end of the year stuff at school, work, extra work because of the new computer system we're getting (Who decided than I should be one of the two System Managers? Clearly, this was not well thought out.), and Maddie's dance recital last night I am ready to run off to anywhere that doesn't have Go Live dates, Accelerated Reader deadlines, or the need for tights in Theatrical Pink and Light Toast.

Or registration fees.

Can we talk about registration fees for just a second here? Goodness gracious. Why does everybody and their grandmother want money just so I can sign up for something that is going to cost me more money every month later on? It boggles the mind. And drains the checking account.

On a more positive (proud Mommy) note, Maddie had her dance recital last night and was absolutely amazing. I do hate that she didn't wear those costumes a little longer since they cost the exact same amount of money as a pair of shoes I've been dying for (and obviously didn't get), but I'm not (too) bitter. She's trying out for a competitive dance squad for next year that she'll do in addition to her weekly classes next weekend, mainly for the added practice and for the opportunity to have more one on one instruction that we're really excited about. And don't forget about the opportunity that I'll get to pay one more registration fee.

*Recital pics coming as soon as I get off my lazy butt and walk out to my car to retrieve my camera.

Being Maddie's Mommy (repost)

2010-05-09T17:31:00.002-05:00

When I became a mom, I looked forward to my first Mother's Day. I thought that because I'd so unselfishly given over my life to this ~~screaming~~ sweet little bundle of joy 4 weeks before, the day would be completely about me and I would be treated like the queen that I deserved to be.

I'll wait while you finish laughing...

Please remember that I was a not-quite-yet-twenty year old that had ideas of an always clean kitchen inside my little house with window boxes and a white picket fence. I was also envisioning 2.5 children that always looked like angels in their matching smocked outfits while we did creative art projects and ate perfectly prepared meals every night.

By breakfast, I realized how ~~stupid~~ naive I had been. (In fact, I realized how naive I'd been about a lot of things that first year of motherhood. I think that's how they talk us all into this parenting gig.) There would be no day of pampering and lavish gifts. No day of adoration by everyone I knew just because I'd given birth to the most beautiful little girl ever seen with human eyes.

It didn't take long to figure out that it was going to be a day just like any other. This wasn't a day about me- it was about her. There would be bottles to make, a bottom to diaper, laundry to fold, pacifiers to ~~cram~~ gently place back in her sweet little mouth. In fact, most of the day I spent a good part of the day not even thinking about it being a special day.

It was a day, just like any other and I was doing all I could to make it through.

Fast forward ~~eight~~ nine years and you'll see me doing the same thing today that I was doing on my first Mother's Day. Sure, I've traded bottles for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the clothes in the laundry a little bit bigger, and we've kicked that pesky pacifier habit, but I'm still just trying to make it through. The days are nothing like I imagined them to be.

They're better.

I'll gladly pass on the day of pampering and gifts, because I see that I got something way better than that.

I was blessed with a little girl that loves me unconditionally, no many how many times I fail miserably at being her mama. She's sweet and kind and every day I think, "There is no possible way that I can love her any more than I already do."

And then I wake up then next morning and see those big blue eyes open and see her smile. The smile that's reserved just for me.

And my heart swells just a little bit more.

A Bit of the Random

2010-05-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

- The final decisions have been made and I should have a new blog design in the next few weeks! I'm working with Erin from Designer Blogs once again and I couldn't be more excited! Stay tuned!

- Business at the hospital has been a little slow the past few months and naturally, the first thing that The Powers That Be do in a time like this is cut hours. I love a day off just as much as the next girl (and maybe more), but I'm a single mama and I have bills to pay. I'm gettin a little anxious. I have some vacation time built up, but I have to save it to use when I'm off in June and July for pageants. If I cold just win the lottery all of this would be a lot easier. Maybe I should actually go and buy a ticket instead of just talking about it. Better yet, I should just send Lori some money and have her pick my numbers for me.

- The news over the last few weeks has been nothing but horror and devistation. Volcanoes, tornados, flooding, oil spills...is anyone else freaking out besides me?

- In what is probably the saddest thing tweeted by anyone under 70 years old, I mentioned that I found my absolute favorite laundry detergent on sale yesterday. I first used it when I got a sample at Ann Taylor when I bought something a while back. Naturally, I picked it right up. The smell is fantastic (and not at all over-powering). Even Maddie notices when I use it. Downey also makes the coordinating fabric softener, so for people like me that hate to mix scents it's a win-win. I also notice that it gets Maddie's white uniform shirts cleaner than other brands. I'm not endosing this because they asked me either (fairly certain that they have no idea that I exist), just in case you were wondering.

- The anal part of me has a hard time posting only 4 bullet points instead of the much more solid 5, but I really don't have anything else to say. Weird? Yes ma'am, I am.

Visitor

2010-04-29T12:18:00.003-05:00

When I first started blogging I added Site Meter so that I could see how many people ran across this blog and where they were coming from. I'm constantly amazed at the number of people that stumble onto my little neck of the woods from all over the world...I've had readers from Brazil, Canada, England (Hi, William! If you aren't going to marry me, I definitely think Kate is a good second choice...she's a doll!), Russia, China, and India....well, you get the idea.

Anyway, I was looking through my visitors today and one hit caught my eye immediately:

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

Why, you ask, would I give a rip about a visitor from a (what I would imagine to be) small town in Missouri?

Because there is only one person that pops into my head when I think of Poplar Bluff.

Hi, Charlene! Thanks for stopping by!

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

2010-04-28T20:56:00.000-05:00

Marianne of Diary of a Fickle White Woman was sweet enough to honor me with a blogging award ~~today~~ a few days ago that I didn't have to beg or pay for! Apparently I have to give you ten random bits of info about me, but thankfully the rules didn't say anything about it being interesting, so here we go:

1. As hard as I try not to be, I am completely superficial and materialistic when it comes to myself. I don't care where you shop or buy your clothes, cars, etc. I will love you regardless, but I like nice things and I buy quality over quantity any day. If I can't have the good stuff, I usually pass.

2. I've mentioned a time or twelve that I heart all things Walt Disney World, but I don't think I would like it as much if I stayed off site during my stay. If I'm going to go, I want to go all out with the whole kit and kaboodle and to be emersed in the magic and pixie dust from the time I arrive until the time I leave. I do draw the line at the clothing, however. I heart Minnie Mouse, but I assure you that you will never catch me wearing her (or Goofy or Winnie the Pooh) on my person in any shape, form, or fashion.

3. I am still frustrated by the fact that I am not an early riser. I always assumed that once you became a grown up you could survive on fewer hours of sleep and always woke up early and ready to start your day. I could very easily sleep 10-12 hours a night and I never wake up before 9 AM without an alarm clock. I'm very envious of those of you that have done a full days work before lunch.

4. I am completely and totally addicted to my iPhone. I am constantly amazed at its capabilities. There is an app for everything. I can track my period (Shut up. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to tracking it.), pay bills, make grocery lists, scan barcodes to find out the price of something, reserve movies at Redbox, keep abreast of all the Twitter and Facebook happenings, edit photos, and play Words With Friends all with the swipe of a fingertip. It's the only phone I've ever had that I wasn't completely bored with in a matter of weeks. The only thing that irritates me is the fact that it won't hold a charge for long.

5. I've been tempted several times to download the Four Square app, but I have a feeling that my updates would include home, Walmart, and the hospital...and that's it. Plus, I'm still a bit puzzled as to how the whole thing works.

6. I get most of my news from Twitter.

7. I have been working on this post for three days now. This proves that I am not very interesting and I seem to be suffering from adult onset ADD.

8. I am reading So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore at the moment. I've decided that it's time to embrace the woman that I am and stop beating myself up over what I'm not.

9. For the first time in a long time I'm completely restless with life. This includes my job, my apartment, this town...everything. I don't know what I want, but I do know that I'm ready for a change somewhere.

10. I feel a little silly when I talk about my online friends to my real life (non blogging) friends. I feel like they're looking at me and thinking I'm nuts because only weirdos meet people online.

In keeping with blog award tradition, I'm tagging Lori, Susan, Mama's Smitten, wife.mom.nurse , and all the rest of you, too. Yes, I mean you.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-04-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

I didn't mean to fall off the face of the Earth, but unless I'm friends with you on Facebook or you follow me on Twitter it may seem that way. The past several weeks have been a whirlwind of activity around here and if I haven't been working on the weekend, we've been out of town.

It all started with my trip to Chicago several weeks ago. I got back, worked several days, had orientation for the Miss Mississippi Pageant, and then headed to Knoxville to see my long-time BFF, Ashley, and go to see my long time music crush, Amos Lee, in concert. It was a long drive for a 36 hour visit, but well worth it. The concert was AMAZING and I need my regular dose of Ashley. It's vital to my well being.

After I got back from Knoxville, I worked for several more days and then we celebrated Maddie's birthday on the 12th with family celebrations and the Mother of All Cookie Cakes. Seriously, I think we fed Maddie's entire class and the entire elementary school faculty. It was massive.

On Wednesday, my aunt and I headed to New Orleans to Amos Lee again before his tour left the Southeast and ended up in the front row. Add in the beignets from Cafe du Monde and it's win win all around! We came back Thursday and I worked until yesterday.

{Since I know you were dying to know, this is my absolute favorite song he sings. If you don't listen to him, you should. Just don't buy tickets to see him live so I have a better chance of getting in the front row again.}

Needless to say, I haven't gotten out of my pj's all day and since it is now almost 6 pm, it doesn't look like that's going to change until I get ready to go back to work tomorrow.

Maddie was invited to a sleepover Friday night so it looks like I may have gotten out of taking her and some of her friends to paint pottery Saturday. It would be groovy if I could postpone it until next weekend so I can get some things done around here before this place gets condemned.

Seriously, it is BAD. So, unless I get lost in the mountains of laundry awaiting me, I should be back to my regularly irregular blogging any minute now.

**Crappy photos courtesy of my iPhone

Photo Shoot

2010-04-05T23:02:00.000-05:00

Maddie had a photo shoot this afternoon to take some pics for the Miss Mississippi Pageant program book. I know that I'm partial, but y'all...is she not beautiful? And she's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, which I'm even more proud of. I helped create her and I still am in awe some days. I am one lucky lady.

Saturday

2010-04-03T22:24:00.001-05:00

EDITED TO ADD: Ironically, I was blog hopping this morning and found this post. He says it all so much better than I did. I think he wrote about this last year too. That has to be where I remember reading it...

Pete Wilson had a sermon (or a blog post, maybe?) a while back that talked about what it must have been like on Saturday after Christ was crucified...about how crushed and hopeless everyone felt, having no idea what was in store for them the very next day.

I've been thinking about that alot today. I don't know about you, but I can sure relate to the feeling of a broken heart and hopelessness. Many of us are praying for our own "Sunday" to come quickly so we can leave the dark dispair of Saturday behind. And as much as I desperately want that Sunday, I am comforted about the one Sunday that has already come...the only one that really matters. The one we will rejoice in tomorrow.

Pete tweeted this today:

Saturday was a day hope was being crushed & hearts were disappointed. Praying for those of you there today. Sunday is coming.

Amen to that.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T11:37:00.002-05:00

The Story

2010-03-17T20:40:00.000-05:00

Since I had a couple of people (TWO!) ask about the story behind this pic, here it is:

Maddie was a princess in the Miss Mississippi Pageant last year for Miss USM (University of Southern Mississippi). Each contestant has a princess (or prince) that comes out and brings them flowers after they perform their talent. They also have a couple of numbers that they dance in, they ride in the parade, and they attend autograph parties. It's sort of a mentoring program. She's done the Miss Mississippi's Outstanding Teen Pageant a couple of times (which is the little sister to the Miss Mississippi Pageant), but finally moved up to the big pageant that is televised all over the state. You can see the camera in the bottom of the picture.

I am so not a pageant mom, but I have to say that we've had such a great time being involved the last couple of years. It's been such a positive experience and the girls learn so much about the hard work and determination it takes to be involved in a big production. We've been really lucky and worked with good, Christian girls that are beautiful both inside and out and been such a positive role model for Maddie. In this day and age, that's not always an easy thing to find.

So there you have it. I guess I could've been straight and to the point: Maddie was on TV in a dress and a crown in a pageant. The end. Whichever.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

Things That Irritate Me

2010-03-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

- Knowing that I've put money in Maddie's cafeteria account at school at least twice in the last two weeks (totaling $40) and I'm getting emails saying that her account is low or negative every few days it seems. I pay over $300/month (all 12 months a year) for her to go to school there. Surely that should include a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. And it's not just the cafeteria. Every week we get notes sent home asking for donations for different things, t-shirts for various events, and just stuff. Last week it was $7 for a recorder for music class and $15 for some t-shirt. This week the registration fee for next year is due. It's $150. And now it looks like I'll be sending another check for lunch money.

I know that it's not a necessity that she go to private school. Her dad and I both went to public school and had a very positive experience, but things are a lot different now and I'm not happy with the public schools in our area. Plus, it's a Catholic school (we're Catholic) and I like that it's centered around our church and it's history and traditions. Prayers are said every morning and afternoon (and various other times throughout the day) and they go to Mass several times a month. I feel like she's safe there and that she isn't just another kid. That doesn't happen in public school. At least not the ones here.

So it looks like I should just shut up and write the check, huh?

- Having to go into work on my day off for a meeting. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

- Delayed flights. I won't go into the long, drawn out story because I know that I'm not the only person that this has ever happened to, but my getting home Friday afternoon after a 5 day trip did not happen. I finally made it home SATURDAY. And that's all I have to say about that.

- The fact that Sonic does not deliver. I could really use a Diet Coke right about now.

- That it will inevitably rain when I wash my car. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Wordless Wednesday: Wannabe Photographer Edition

2010-03-10T01:05:00.001-06:00

Sweet Home Chicago

2010-03-08T19:46:00.000-06:00

Country has come to town! I made it into O'Hare (which is Irish for Big A$$ Airport) this afternoon and successfully found my luggage, called and got a taxi, found said taxi, and made it to my hotel just like a big girl!

For the record, this is not the first time I've ever left Mayberry, but I don't normally travel completely on my own. I really wasn't that concerned, but I've learned over the years that it's when not really concerned that I'm faced with a curveball of some sort.

As excited as I am about (hopefully, if time permits) doing a little sightseeing, I'm just as excited about crawling into this big fluffy bed with my book and the remote. Double bonus that this hotel offers room service and free wi-fi (thank you, Wyndham!). I do have to say that I'm very disappointed that there was no Diet Coke in the vending machine. What is wrong with you Yankees?

See ~~y'all~~ you guys tomorrow!

Show Us Your Life: A Typical Day for This Single Mom

2010-03-05T22:27:00.000-06:00

It's Show us your life again over at Kelly's Korner and I thought I might join in. The theme this week is A Typical Day, so here we go...

5:25- Alarm goes off for the first time

5:25-5:50- Hit snooze and try to get the last few minutes of shut eye in that I can. Begin to think about the day and all that we have going on and decide that I may as well bite the bullet and get my tail out of bed.

5:50-6:30- Take a shower, get dressed, wake Maddie up, iron uniform for school, check lunch menu and let Maddie decide if she wants to eat in lunch room or pack her lunch, cheer if she wants to buy lunch at school, silently groan is she wants to pack a lunch and begin to make her usual turkey sandwhich.

6:30- Maddie's grandmother or great-grandmother arrive (depending on the day; they swap out). Give them the run down of the day's activities for Maddie and myself.

6:50- Kiss my sweet girl good-bye and rush out the door

7:00 (or 7:05, if we're being honest)- Arrive at work, high-tail it to the 3rd floor and get ready to take report from the night nurses in L&D.

7:05-7:25- Start IV's, hang fluids, constantly watch fetal heartrate monitors, assist with epidurals, circulate in the OR during c-sections, give instructions on patterned breathing, try to explain how to push effectively, take orders, answer phones, get ice chips, give pain meds, answer call lights, witness tiny little miracles enter the world and take their first breaths

7:25-8:00- pick Maddie up from the grandparent du jour (because they rock, she's already taken her bath and had dinner), race home, check homework, make sure: teeth are burshed, assignment pads are signed, uniforms are washed (her's and mine), talk with Maddie briefly about her day, give her the schedule for the next day (so we both know what to expect), tuck her in.

8:00-10:30- Wash clothes, check email/Twitter/Facebook/Google Reader, catch up on a DVR'd show or two, eat a bowl of cereal for dinner if I'm not too tired

10:30- Bedtime

Lather, rinse, repeat.

And now you know why it's 10:30 on Friday night and I'm just now getting this post up.

Wordless Wednesday (on Thursday once again because I'm nothing if not consistant)

2010-03-04T11:05:00.000-06:00

The Week

2010-02-26T19:05:00.000-06:00

This week hasn't been particularly interesting, but since I'm sure you've all been waiting with baited breath to hear from me, I figured that I'd check in.

I'm selfless like that. You're welcome.

- I mentioned a while back that I was heading to Chicago for work in March to attend a class for work.  The class is for training for a new computer system that we're getting for fetal monitoring and charting. It's a huge deal and cost tens of thousands of dollars, I'm sure. Last week we learned that there was a chance that we wouldn't be going due to budget issues blah blah blah. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that the economy is tight and that companies everywhere are doing what they can to cut costs. I totally get it. The part that I don't understand is why they would spend all this money for a system only to try and cut costs when it comes to training the staff. How can we learn (and teach the rest of the department) if no one teaches us? It kind of makes the whole thing pointless if NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO USE IT.

To make a long story short, two days ago we learned that the request had been approved and we'll be leaving March 8. I'm still irritated about the entire situation.

On a positive note, I'M GOING TO CHICAGO!

- I learned yesterday when we got our itinerary that we'll be going through a certain airport on the way back that is extremely close to one of my Bloggy BFF's. I'm determined to figure out a way to meet her in the flesh, even if it is only for 2.5 minutes.

- In other travel news, we're looking at going on a cruise sometime this summer! I've never been on one, so I'm super excited. It'll just be girls (my mom, sister, me, Maddie, ex-MIL, and both of my ex-SIL's), which will be lots of fun (although 7 girls together for 5-7 days presents the opportunity for lots of drama)!  If anyone has any helpful tips please share!

- In true Maddie fashion, she started running fever last night after dance class and had to stay home from school today. I'm crossing my fingers that it's just a little virus.  Do anyone else's kids wait until the weekend to get sick? Our pediatrician's office has clinic on Saturdays, but naturally, it's not our pediatrician that's on call this weekend (and I really would rather see her if we have to go in, but I guess that's not really a big deal). I just hope we aren't stuck in the house all weekend.

So, how was your week?

Wordless Wednesday (on Thursday)

2010-02-18T21:25:00.002-06:00

Sorry to Disappoint

2010-02-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

Just incase any of you were in the running for Mother of the Year this year, I must tell you that all your effort has been wasted. I've got it in the bag.

Not only have I spent the last seven nights at work, forcing my child to sleep away at one of her grandparents' houses, I also fell asleep this afternoon and slept through my alarm.

Which means that my poor child waited 45 minutes to be picked up after school until my mom was called and rushed to go and get her. By the time she got there, Maddie was in a full fledged panic.

So, how was your day?

It's been so long since I've written a real post I don't even know how to come up with a clever title.

2010-02-02T12:49:00.000-06:00

I mentioned in the previous post the reasons that I haven't been blogging lately, but it's time to get back in the swing of things and pick back up where I left off. You'd think that during my hiatus I would have come up with tons of different things to write about to make up for my absense.

But you'd be wrong.

So, it looks like I'll just throw a few paragraphs out there and give up on the idea that any of it will relate to the other. Here we go:

I've been working nights for the last couple of weeks and I'm hating it. I thought when I started that I'd like the change, but it's definitely lost it's appeal. It's also been hard on Maddie and she's not been the most pleasant person to be around lately. We haven't jived at all these last few days and I've contemplated adoption at least twice. Without a doubt, this will be the last time I do this for a long while.

I'll be going to Chicago in March for work which is pretty unheard of in this line of work- at least if you work for the hospital I work for. Until now, I haven't been any farther (further? I never get that right) than Hattiesburg, which is about 2 hours away. (It's also the same town that Ti*ger Woods is being treated for sex addiction, just so you know). I'm excited about the trip, I just hope that I'm prepared for the computer class that I'll be taking while I'm there. Also, any recommendations that anyone has about things to do, places to eat, etc would be greatly appreciated. This will be my first time to experience The Windy City.

Unfortunately, my niece being here and my child acting like a farm animal has done nothing to cure The Baby Bug that I've had. I miss having a little one around so much and it's always been my dream that Maddie would have a brother or sister. Being single has definitely put a kink in my plans of being finished having babies before I was 30 and since there aren't any super exciting prospects in the horizon, the odds of hearing the pitter patter of little feet around these parts is pretty slim. I heard just the other day that something like 70% of a womans eggs are gone by the time she turns 30. Here's to hoping that a couple of them will hold on for a few more years until I find me a man.

Why is it that anti-nausea medicine tastes so terrible? My stomach has been a little yucky feeling this morning so I took some Pepto Bismol. I still feel like I could yack at any moment, only now I'm not sure if it's the bug or the medicine. Groovy.

My maypop Tivo and I have been reunited after several long, painful months apart and I feel complete once again. It's been a beautiful thing. I had no idea how much I've missed my recorded episodes of The Nanny and Celebrity Rehab. I'm fascinated with Heidi*Fleiss' lips and Dennis*Rodman's various and sundry piercings. Also: does he owns any shirts that don't have the words Ed*Hardy on them somewhere?

Anyway, I'm back. Not necessarily better than ever, mind you, but back nonetheless.

3 Reasons I Haven't Blogged Much Lately

2010-01-18T21:23:00.000-06:00

1. I've been reliving my childhood with this:

Oh, how I LOVED this game when I was younger! My sister and I would play for hours and hours. When Maddie decided that she wanted to buy it with some of her own money, I ~~high-tailed it~~ drove carefully and cautiously to the store. Because I'm a good mom like that. I now have a blister on my thumb from playing for hours on end.

2. And on the 8th day, God created the iPhone.

I had no idea how incomplete my life had been before this little beauty came home with me. I heart her.

3. And last, but not least:

My sweet niece, Marley, is now living in town (less than 100 yards away, actually) and I have an uncontrollable urge to kiss on these cheeks that I just haven't learned how to fight yet. And her cousin is pretty smitten, too. Although, I'm sure you couldn't guess that by the picture above.

Help

2010-01-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

I know that I've mentioned it before, but some of you may not know that we sponsor a little girl that lives in India through Compassion. Her name is Mohini and she was Maddie's gift for her First Communion. Her picture stays displayed prominately on our refridgerator as a constant reminder of other people in the world that are less fortunate than most of us here in the U.S. To me, she's not just one child. Her sweet face represents all of the children all over the world that depend on us for help. These aren't kids that need new bicycles or video games. These are kids that need clean drinking water, vaccines, food, an education, and the opportunity to learn about Jesus. Thanks to Compassion, over A MILLION children worldwide have that chance.

I'm certainly not telling you about our sponsor child to toot my own horn. I struggle daily with the fact that I'm not doing all I can or should do. The reason that I tell you this is because I know firsthand that this organization does what it says it's going to do. The money that we send each month goes to help Mohini in whatever she needs. In a time when so many organizations can't be trusted, I know that Compassion is legit.

Right now, they're raising money to help with the devastation left behind after the earthquake in Haiti. For $35, a family can eat and have drinking water for a week. Even $5 or $10 will help. I, personally, am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the whole situation, but it's obvious by watching the news that this is a disaster. As Hillary Clinton said (paraphrased), "This is a disaster of biblical proportion."

Will you help, please?

And So It Ends

2009-12-31T22:43:00.000-06:00

2009 is over.

Unlike most of the other bloggers around the internet, I don't have any deep and sentimental retrospective post planned out listing all of my accomplishments and the various and sundry resolutions to bring in the new year. In fact, I wasn't even planning on posting tonight, but the I'm supposed to be packing for my trip and apparently nothing makes my fingers itchy to type like knowing I have to make sure everybody has a toothbrush and clean underwear ready to board a plane at eight o'clock in the morning.

Looks like I can go ahead and mark 'procrastinate less' off my non-existant list of resolutions.

Really, the best thing I can say about 2009 is that it didn't suck quite as bad as 2008. And really? Isn't that all we can hope for? As far as accomplishments go, I don't have many this year. I've continued to feed and water the kid three times a day (for the most part), kept her relatively clean and healthy, and don't see any major long term effects from my parenting, so maybe we can count that? I started this here blog last November and suprisingly kept it going (admittedly, quality and content are a bit sketchy at times) much longer than I expected.

My goals for 2010 are pretty simple. I hope to feed my child something other than a poptart for breakfast at least one day a week and maybe even cook a meal or two when I'm feeling froggy. Having my mom close by has been awesome considering she cooks more now than she ever did when I was growing up. I'm not sure what's gotten into her, but I hope it doesn't stop any time soon.

I'd love for this year to be The Year that everything comes full circle and we find ourselves as happy as we once were way back in 2003-2004ish, but as long as its not as bad as 2006-2007 I think we'll consider it a success.

Ever the optimist, I am.

Happy New Year! And don't forget to eat your black-eyed peas and cabbage tomorrow.

Well, Hello There!

2009-12-29T18:10:00.000-06:00

Christmas is finally over, and I can't say that I'm sorry to see it end. It's been fun, but I'm ready to get my house and my life back in order again.

I've been working nights (once again) and they're beginning to take their toll on me.

This girl is pooped.

Luckily, tonight is my last night for a week and we leave Friday to fly down to my dad's to visit for a couple of days.

Attention burgulars: you've already cleaned me out once. Move along.

When we come back on Monday, we'll have an extra passenger with us on the plane! My sister and niece are moving back to Mississippi and Marley will be coming back with us so Courtney can tie up loose ends and get the moving van packed.

To say that I'm a little nervous about flying with a baby is a tad of an understatement. Maddie was five the first time she flew so I have absolutely NO experience with this. I apologize in advance to any passengers reading this. Prayers would be appreciated.

Happy New Year to all by internet peeps! We have tons of catching up to do soon!

My {Fantasy} Christmas List

2009-12-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

In no particular order-

1. These shoes. Yes, I know that they're ridiculously expensive and they're just black pumps. I don't care. I want them REALLY BAD.

2. This bracelet. Again, crazy expensive- but classic and timeless. Wouldn't it look great with the CL pumps?

3. This ring. Or this one to match my bracelet.

4. This necklace is a little more reasonably priced and I've wanted this one for several years now.

5. I've wanted this canvas to hang over my couch since I moved in.

I could keep going, but I'll stop for now.

What would you put on your Fantasy Christmas List?

I Won!

2009-12-16T17:07:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a giveaway by Amanda at Beautiful Blog Designs, I won a blog makeover from Erin at Designer Blogs! Erin did the lovely layout that I have now and I'm SUPER excited about sprucing things up around here. I've been thinking about doing it anyway for the past couple of months, but haven't been able to justify the expense.

The only problem is, I have NO IDEA what I want to do. Looks like I need to get busy!

Nail Salon

2009-12-07T21:44:00.000-06:00

This video cracks me up- doesn't matter how many times I watch it.

Show Us Your Life: Christmas Trees

2009-12-04T21:03:00.000-06:00

I may be the last person to join the party, but I guess it's better late than never. Kelly is hosting her weekly tour and this week they're looking at Christmas trees. I haven't joined in before, but I love Christmas and my tree, so I figured I'd share it with all of you.

I haven't posted pics since I switched to the new post format in Blogger, so bear with me. These pics are a hot mess as far as placement goes.

Anyway, here it is:

Fun, funky, and whimsical is how I'd describe my tree. It makes me smile everytime I look at it. I made this topper myself. It took about 15 minutes and I think it turned out great!

Because we lost all of our Christmas stuff in the fire a couple of years ago, I had to buy a tree full of ornaments. Luckily, I found a ton 75% off at a Christmas store that was going out of business. I still add one or two really cute ones every year.

I know the silver is far from traditional, but since it's just me and Maddie, we can get away with it for now. I figured that when I got tired of it as our main tree it would always be a cute kids tree or a theme tree with all red and silver ornaments...or even a great way to show off Christmas cards.

I was never able to find a tree skirt that I loved that cost less than $75 so I improvised with this silver fabric and turquoise tulle. Super easy and super cheap.

This is Maddie's little tree that sits in her room that has all her ballet and girly ornaments on it. I still have to get some fabric to make a skirt for it, but I think it's cute.

Thanks for stopping by!

The AMAs

2009-11-22T22:01:00.001-06:00

Here we go again...

- Eight minutes of Janet Jackson may be a tad bit excessive. And did she grab his crotch?! I'm glad I'm not letting MY CHILD watch this. Dear heavens. And did you notice when she asked the crowd to sing along HER OWN BROTHER (Jermaine? They all look alike to me.) didn't know the words?!

- Does it make me old to admit that I remember Fergie when she was just Stacy on Kids, Incorporated? I LOVED that show. And FYI? I still know the theme song. Oh yes I do.

- Chris Daughtry is one of the best things ever to come from American Idol.

- Wow, Shakira. Those hips really don't lie, do they?

- Kelly Clarkson is one of the few artists that sound better live than on the radio. And she got a standing ovation which was well deserved. That girl can work it.

- I love Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, but it reminds me just how white I am when I try and sing along with it. It's definitely one I have to sing when I'm all alone.

- Perez Hilton and his faux hawk are both terrible.

- Who is Maxwell?

- Yep, it was Jermaine that didn't know the words to Janet's song. Shame, shame.

- What's with the light up, Rainbow Brite-esque outfits. Rhianna and Lady Gaga both had them, although for Lady Gaga, it was a relatively tame costume choice.

- So glad that Gloriana won Best New Artist! Love them!

- There's something lacking with no host. Where's Ellen when you need her?

- Where are your Louboutins, Jennifer? The shoes you have on are terrible.

- There they are! But still, your performance? Eh.

- I've always loved me some Whitney. I hope this comeback doesn't ruin it for me.

- All in all, I'd say the entire AMA's have been one big Fashion Fail.

- Love him or hate him, Eminem is talented.

- I had bangs like Nelly Furtado's when I was 6. And then I turned 7 and realized how terrible they were.

- Taylor Swift beat MJ. Can't believe that. I think she's precious, but I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about. Granted, I'm not 14 so I don't guess that I'm her target audience.

- All night long they've been talking about how awesome Adam Lambert's performance was going to be. I am less than impressed. He is definitely not one of American Idol's best.

- I sure hope next year is better.

Rambling

2009-11-19T11:36:00.000-06:00

Since I've finally finished my month of working nights, I hope to be around more in the next few days, but until then, here are some aimless ramblings. I believe they may be my trademark.

- My sister and my niece will be coming for an eight day visit on Monday. Be prepared for lots of pics. It will be the first time Maddie has met Marley and I cannot begin to explain the level of excitement around here.

- The forthcoming pics may or may not include the two cutest little girls I know in matching Christmas pajamas.

- I have returned to my roots. Literally. As of yesterday, I am now a brunette again for the first time in a LONG time. I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but I really think I do. It has also met the approval of my more-than-honest eight year old, so I think that in and of itself means that we have a success.

- I'm off for Thanksgiving this year for the first time in several years and am so excited. I may or may not have an "I Love Turkey" shirt to commemorate the occasion.

- I am dying to see The Blind Side when it opens on Friday. I've wanted to see it since I saw the first preview, but I've since learned about the story behind the movie and discovered that, Michael Oher, who the movie is about was a football player at Ole Miss and went the high school in Germantown, TN that my cousin goes to now. Apparently Drew (my cousin), is a friend of the family that took him in and helped him out. Kinda makes me famous by association, don't ya think? Don't answer that.

FW:

2009-11-14T15:27:00.000-06:00

I've yet to try the new mobile blogging feature that Blogger has and since I'm trying to find a way to keep my mind occupied between trips to empty my patient's foley bag, I figured now was as good a time as any. I had great plans to follow up my post about Compassion with one about our little girl that we sponsor in India, but it has been bananas here in Baby Land the past two nights and I've not been able to do anything other than drive home and fall face first into my bed. It has become blatantly clear that I am not meant to handle all this Working in the Nighttime Business. All you have to do is look at the laundry sitting on my couch waiting to be put away and see the grumpy look on a certain 8 year old's face that wants to come home and sleep in her own bed to see what I mean. It's ugly. And you know what else is ugly? This post, since I just realized that I have no idea how to put a title in and there is no way to put in spaces between sentences. Anywho. Have a great weekend!

Compassion

2009-11-11T12:25:00.000-06:00

I know I've fallen off the face of the blogging earth as of late and I really don't have any good excuse for it, other than life has kinda gotten in the way and stolen all of my writing mojo. I'm feeling a little uninspired...or at least I was until I opened up my trusty laptop this morning and saw this.

Needless to say, I was a blubbering mess immediately.

For those of you who have never heard of Compassion, it's an organization that helps children all over the world who live a life of poverty by helping provide them with a better life. The website does a much better job explaining their mission than I ever could,

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.

If you read Angie's blog, Boomama, Pete's blog, Big Mama, or Carlos' blog you've heard about the trips they've taken to different areas of the world to see this organization at work and shared with the rest of us through their blogs. Can you imagine what an awesome experience this had to have been for them? What an honor to be able to use what, for most of us, is a creative outlet to help these sweet babies and show what an amazing thing God is doing through this organization.

There is another group that's in El Salvador right now. You can follow their journey here.

Princess Tiana

2009-10-26T17:19:00.000-05:00

There's a new girl in town. Yep, for the first time since 1998 Disney is debuting a new princess in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It goes without saying that I. Am. Pumped.

And guess what?

The only thing better than a new Disney Princess?

A Southern Disney Princess.

It appears that Princess Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog, is from The Big Easy.

Isn't she beautiful?!

The urge to go back has been pretty strong around here lately and if that isn't a good enough reason to book a trip to WDW, I don't know what is (other than a lack of funds, of course).

Random Observations

2009-10-22T21:10:00.000-05:00

I believe that the Schwans man and all his frozen culinary delights is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. And not slaving away in the kitchen on nights when there is much television to be watched.

I also believe that the fact that I just bought my eight year old her third retainer in a year is proof that He has a sense of humor. And that he doesn't ever want me to be debt free.

I believe that I need a Scramble intervention. (I curse you, Facebook, and the vortex that you suck me into everytime I get online.)

I believe that it is time for another trip to Walt Disney World (The Happiest Place on Earth). Two years between visits is too long.

I ~~believe~~ know that there will be no trip taking around here as long as we keep losing/throwing away/crushing dental appliances. Or as long as we have to keep making payments on the replacements.

I believe that Grey's Anatomy is losing it's luster and will only continue to do so now that Izzy is gone.

I believe that working out with Jillian is bad for my mortal soul. I have extremely vivid and violent thoughts about what I would do to her if I ever met her in a dark alley. They may or may not include static lunges with a bicep curl and bicycle crunches. Or those dreadful side plank thingies. Phone that it, you sadistic drill sergeant.

I also believe that I may need a little more sleep and to remember to take my happy pills.

Just Curious

2009-10-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

Have you ever read someone's post that included a joke that for the life of you, you just don't get so you start skimming through the comments hoping that you'll figure out what in the sam hill they're talking about- only to find that everyone else seems to get it and it's obviously only you that is an ignorant inbecile, but no one mentions the punch line in the comments- so you just cut your losses and accept the fact that you just aren't going to figure it out, only it eats and eats away at you until you are READY. TO. SCREAM.

Yeah, me either.

Also: I switched over to the posting style in Blogger only to find that there is no spell check. (Or maybe I just don't see it...) Letting me post with no spell check?

Not a good idea, my friends. Not a good idea...

Let's see...

2009-10-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

Where to begin? I don't have much of a common thread to tie anything together, so I think we'll have a numbered post tonight:

1. Maddie has decided that she wants to be a hippie for Halloween, so I've been searching all over the internet for accessories to go with the tie dyed tshirt that served as her inspiration. Lesson learned during this quest: It's expensive to be a hippie. Who knew shoes made out of rope would be almost $30? And since Halloween is two weeks away, I'll probably be the proud owner of a pair in the near future.

2. Twitter is now the way that I keep up with the happenings around the world. It's how I found out about Michael Jackson's death (about 45 minutes before it was Breaking News on TV), the flight of the Balloon Boy, among other things. It's also how I stay updated on the weather and what John Mayer is up to (his new single, Who Says, is now available on iTunes). I'm not sure if this is exactly what it was intended for, but I must admit I am addicted.

Want to follow me? I'm casey0412. You can see my last few tweets over there to the right.

3. I got to spend some time with my real life BFF this weekend on Friday and again tonight. That may be a record for us since she moved to Knoxville. I'm still hoping that she'll get to move home soon, but they just bought a house, so the odds aren't in my favor anymore (I am VERY happy for them- I just want her home for my own selfish reasons. Mainly because she is my only friend that is always up for a trip to the movies to see whatever chick flick is playing at the moment. I only go to the movies to see grown up films when she's home.)

4. I watched The Proposal this weekend (with the aforementioned BFF) and thought it was really cute. It's lighthearted and funny and was exactly what I was in the mood for. Parts of it were pretty predictable (like most chick flicks can be), but all in all I give it two thumbs up. (Unless, of course, you hate it- then I hate it, too!)

5. The sun came out this weekend! I know that usually that doesn't warrant it's own number, but it has been raining for weeks around here. It has been MISERABLE. I'm a girl that needs her vitamin D to keep sane and I was teetering dangerously close to the edge of insanity. Luckily, it has been shining for the past two days and all is well once again.

How was your weekend?

Most Obnoxious Commerical on TV at the Moment

2009-10-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

Food and Friends

2009-10-05T18:57:00.006-05:00

I'm so glad you all enjoyed my little Etsy find in my last post. It would be stingy of me to keep things like that to myself, so I do my best to share these little gems with the rest of you. Because I love you.

This past weekend I went to Canton, Texas with five other ladies for a weekend of relaxation and to celebrate one of my closest friend's birthday. It was awesome. We shopped, ate, talked, laughed, ate, drank, laughed, shopped, and ate all weekend. It was super laid back. No one had to worry about dressing up or looking nice- we all aimed for casual and comfy. (Six of us got ready with one bathroom in less than an hour if that tells you anything.) It was just what I needed. I forget sometimes how important it is to make time for myself. I'm going to try to be better about that. It's amazing what a couple of days away does for your spirit. Now, I get to work for the next five days in a row, so that should be just what I need to get me nice and grumpy again.

I do need to mention something from this weekend that deserves it's own paragraph. Well, two things actually. First, I'd like to send a shout out to the corn dog stand in the Arbors at the Canton Flea Market. I am not typically a hot dog/corn dog eater, but this wasn't just any corn dog. It was a jumbo corn dog that had been battered and fried to perfection moments before it made it's way into my stomach and I do believe that it was single handedly the best processed beef (or whatever it's made of- I prefer not to think about it too much) I've ever put in my mouth. Secondly, I tasted a little bit of heaven minutes after my Corn Dog Epiphany. It came in the form of another fried delicacy.

It was a Fried Oreo.

I do believe I heard angels singing.

I would also be willing to drive five and a half hours back to Canton, Texas just to eat another one.

I hope your weekend was just as tasty and relaxing as mine.

Just in Time for Christmas

2009-09-30T12:46:00.005-05:00

I happened upon this Etsy store last night and wanted to share what I found with all of you.

At first glance, I didn't think much about it, but then I read the description and studied the picture a little closer.

Take a look for yourself.

There is so much I can say about this, but I don't even know where to start.

You're welcome.

Eh?

2009-09-27T20:33:00.001-05:00

Maddie is playing soccer this fall, much to my chagrin. It's not that I don't want her to play, it's just that I get tired of hearing "I don't wanna go to soccer practice today!" and "I want to go to so and so's birthday party instead of going to my game!" after the first week. The rule around here is: you start it, you finish it. In theory, it makes me sound authoritative and parent-y. Actually, it just makes us both miserable since I don't really want to be there either. She's also moved up to the Under 10 division and is now one of the youngest on the team- which means she's gone from lots of playing time and scoring goals to just kind of standing around with an occasional jog thrown in here and there. She hasn't quite grasped the concept that in the past she's done well because all the other players were just as clueless as she was and now she's going to have to put in some effort if she wants to play well. For now, I'm just going to count down the days until the season is over.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was out of town because of a death in the family. Despite all the sadness there was one upside to my trip: I got to see my niece, Marley! I mentioned her here when she made her surprise entrance into the world seven weeks before she was supposed to. My mom and I went down to see her, but since she was in the NICU, we didn't get to hold her then. Suffice it to say that I definitely made up for lost time. Isn't she ADORABLE?! You'd never know she was a preemie by looking at those cheeks!

I'm heading out of town for a girls weekend on Thursday and I cannot wait! (Attention Burgulars: Your co-horts have already cleaned me out once. If you break in here, you will be sadly disappointed. I got nothin'.) We're headed out west to shop in the lovely state of Texas.

Am I the only person in America that hasn't seen Glee yet? I keep hearing great things about it, so I'm going to have to check it out.

It's so very sad that it's taken me two days to type this post. But honestly, this one shouldn't count either since I'm putting myself to sleep. I think I should go ahead and stop now.

Here's hoping that I get a little more exciting as the week progresses.

Really?

2009-09-16T21:35:00.006-05:00

This is what my bed looks like 2-3 times a week around midnight. It also shows why two people that should have absolutely NO problem sleeping in a king sized bed together seem to roll over each other 874 times a night.

I willingly gave her free reign over my uterus, but alas, it wasn't enough.

She now has my bed.

VMA's: Bits and Bites

2009-09-13T22:54:00.002-05:00

Lovely tribute to Michael Jackson...can we please let him rest in peace now?

I don't know much about Russell Brand, but I do know that one wrong move and those pants are history.

I think it would be great if entertainers would do what they're paid to do- ENTERTAIN. Let's not use it as a platform to voice their political opinions, mkay?

Are we sure Taylor Lautner is really only 17? Because...yum.

Kanye West is rude and has no manners. I am totally disgusted, although not surprised. Tacky, tacky...

All I can think about as I watch Green Day accept their Moon Man is the fact that I knew them back in the day. Before they had kids and their albums had sophisticated names like Dookie.

I can't decide if I'm mesmerized by Lady Gaga or if I'm a little frightened.

New Moon! Can't wait!

Eminem looks so...clean.

Why does Jay Z have a motorcade?

This is losing it's luster quickly...

And then Lady Gaga comes back out in another Halloween costume to liven things up a bit!

Pink rocks! Is she worried about that heart staying where it should? I know I would be...

I may or may not have a small crush on Jimmy Fallon.

Aww, Beyonce! I heart you even more now that I did before; you are such a classy lady! Take that, Kanye.

It appears that Jay Z has his own Secret Service.

Alicia Keys can use those earrings (excuse me, earring) as hula hoops after she's finished wearing them. THAT is how you reduce your carbon footprint, my friends.

And of course, we couldn't end the night without one more mention of MJ or one more costume change by Lady Gaga. Now she looks like an eskimo.

And congrats to Russell Brand for keeping his pants on.

THE END

Back Soon!

2009-09-12T16:21:00.002-05:00

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. We had a death in the family and I've been out of town for the past few days.

I'll be home tomorrow and hopefully can catch up with everyone then.

Talk to you soon!

Question to Ponder

2009-09-06T19:24:00.001-05:00

Why is it that you never get the stomach virus when your bathroom has just been cleaned?

That is all.

The South

2009-08-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

I got this in an email the other day. Most are SO true about being from the South...

The Knowledge of Southern Women

Southern women know:

Their summer weather report:

Humidity

Their summer vacation spots:

The beach

The rivuh

The crick

Everybody's first name:

Honey

Darlin'

Shugah

The movies that speak to their hearts:

Fried Green Tomatoes

Driving Miss Daisy

Steel Magnolias

Gone With The Wind

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Their religions:

Baptist

Methodist

Football

Their cities dripping with Southern charm:

Chawl'stn

S'vanah
Foat Wuth

N'awlins

Addlanna

Their elegant gentlemen:

Men in uniform

Men in tuxedos

Rhett Butler

Their prime real estate:

The Mall

The Country Club

The Beauty Salon

The 3 deadly sins:

Having bad hair and nails

Having bad manners

Cooking bad food

Additional Suthen-isms:

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc.., make up "a mess."

Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, as in: "Going to town, be back directly."

Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20

Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, ... and when we're "in line,"... we talk to everybody!

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

In the South, y'all is singular, all y'all is plural.

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" ... and go your own way....

To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southerness: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your heart!

And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, ... bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y'all need a sign to hang on y'alls front porch that reads "I ain't from the South, but I got here as fast as I could."

Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fahevah !

Friday Favorites: Halloween

2009-08-28T00:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, I realize that it's not even September yet, but I had two catalogs in the mail today full of the cutest Halloween stuff. I've only become interested in decorating for any holiday other than Christmas in the last few years and Halloween decorations are some of my favorite. I bought a ton of stuff last year when Hobby Lobby had their stuff 75% off after Halloween. I'd love to add some of this to my collection.

Ok, these may be a little over the top, but I think they'd be perfect for a party.

These mummies are definitely a conversation piece, but the lighted arrangement in the urns are more my style.

If you're a little more traditional, this would be perfect.

These "Giggle Buddies" dance and laugh when you walk by. My mother in law has one. When Maddie was little, it scared her to death when she would walk by...and then she would forget about it until she walked by again. I'm not sure which was more entertaining.

I would TOTALLY buy one of these if I had an extra $100 laying around. This lamp ROCKS.

This is called the "Broomba". It has a sensor that triggers it to sing and play music when someone walks by. Sadly, I don't think it vacuums as it dances though...

These wine labels are perfect for a party.

(photo credits: Grandin Road)

This chandelier and these glittered pumpkins make a great centerpiece for a table.

I don't know if you've ever heard of Glitterville, but every single thing they make is precious! It's all vintage and whimsical- and if you've seen my Christmas tree you know that it fits me to a tee. I plan on starting a collection soon.

(photo credits: Amazon)

This candy dish is on the top of my list. You want one too, don't you?

I Surrender

2009-08-16T21:50:00.005-05:00

I seem to have a case of writers block that I just can't shake these last few weeks if you haven't noticed. It doesn't matter how often I open up a new post, I can't do anything besides watch the cursor blink- which is funny coming from a girl who can write a post about nothing.

It's not that anything big is going on- I've just got a bunch of thoughts jumbled up and can't seem to make a coherent sentence from any of them. Everything just seems a bit off.

I've come to the conclusion that this writer's block is a big hint from *Someone* that I should be listening instead of talking (or writing), so that's what I've been doing.

**I am amazed sometimes by my own ignorance...it took me way longer than I care to admit to figure this out. And while I'm on the subject, does anyone else ever have this problem? I'm no genius, but I do think I'm reasonably intelligent...or I thought I was. Sometimes I wish God would send me a text or something else a little more obvious. All this time I just assumed that I must have adult onset ADD...

I've caught up on blogs, found new ones, and spent more time trying to have conversations with God instead of rattling off a laundry list of requests and thanksgiving. It's a lot harder than it sounds. He hasn't told me a lot yet, but I'm waiting. Patiently. Patience is something He's been working with me on for a while- and some days I still think we have a long way to go. However, He is nothing if not persistant with His teaching of this lesson.

Lord, this patience thing? Duly noted. I pinky promise.

One thing that we've definitely made strides in is my ability to let go of my dreams and ideas of what is best for me and give myself over completely to what He wants.

To surrender.

All of it.

I know I've talked about it before, but it has been a huge struggle for me. It's taken almost three years, but I can finally say that I truly want whatever it is He wants for me. (Although, I may have mentioned to Him a time or two how groovy it would be if it was really fun and happy stuff. I really like fun and happy!)

For the most part, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. In those moments when fear and doubt start to creep in, I just keep reminding myself that no matter what, He will continue to sustain me with whatever it is that I need to keep on, keeping on.

And when you think about it, that's pretty awesome.

I just hope He hurries. :)

" Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us", Ephesians 3:20

Todd Smtih "I Surrender All" from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Friday Favorites

2009-08-13T20:56:00.004-05:00

Jana's paintings that can be found here. I talked to her a while back about doing one of Maddie and plan on doing it as soon as life slows down and stops sucking EVERY. BLASTED. CENT. I make away for this, that, and the other.

This t shirt:

I know that she can be a little controversial as far as Republicans go, but I started reading her blog back during the election and loved the inside peek into what life is really like on the road during a presidential election. To be as young as she is, she's smart and feisty. I like her.

Sonic Happy Hour happens to be my favorite time of day. There is nothing better than their drinks, namely their Diet Cokes. Heaven in a cup, my friends.

Frames found here, at Plain Jane Frames. I love huge, wooden, distressed frames and this is one of the websites I've found that sells them.

A Fond Farewell

2009-08-09T22:24:00.004-05:00

Maddie started the Third Grade today. I won't bore you with the obligatory 'My Baby is All Grown Up...Where Has the Time Gone...It Seems Like Just Yesterday' post.

Consider yourself lucky that I didn't- cause it would've been ugly. Suffice it to say that I spent all last night and a good part of this morning in a blubbery haze. It was not one of my shining moments. Oddly enough, this is the first time I can remember shedding tears over a new school year. Not even kindergarten. All I could think about last night was that there were only nine more first days of school left before she graduated. Then, she would go off to school and to the exciting life that is inevitably waiting on her and leave her poor, pitiful mother here all alone to rot and watch reruns of Family Matters and Golden Girls.

Why, yes. Yes, I am a wee bit dramatic sometimes. We're going to blame it on hormones and the fact that I forgot to take one of my Happy Pills on Saturday.

Now, moving on.

Since we're starting off the new school year and bidding the fun and carefree days of summer farewell, I'd like to think back for a moment on my favorite things about summer.

In no particular order:

1. No after school activities- Well, obviously since there is no school, there wouldn't be any after school activities, but you know what I mean. No dance class, no soccer practice, no where we have to be. It's such a nice change.

2. Sundresses and flip flops- This may just prove my laziness, but I love the fact that summer clothes are easy. Slip on a dress and slide your feet into a pair of flip flops and you're ready to go. The most time consuming part of my dressing routine is putting in a pair of earrings. Sweet.

3. Seeing the sun- When I work 12 hour shifts, I go in just after the sun comes up in the morning and work until dark. It's so nice to leave work and be able to enjoy a few minutes of daylight. It definitely helps my mood.

4. Snow cones- I can't think of anything that says 'Summer' like a tongue dyed pink from a cherry snow cone.

5. Sunscreen- Not so much the actual application of it- just the smell. It brings back tons of good memories from summer vacations in Destin, FL at the beach.

6. Lazy days at the pool, lake, beach, etc- The water keeps the kids entertained and the adults from spontaneously combusting and there's nothing else to do but relax and catch up on the news (People, US Weekly, In Touch) and read chick lit.

Sadly, the days filled with nothing to do are numbered. If I had to guess, I'd say that the Christmas decorations should be up in the stores any day now...

Friday Favorites: Girls Clothes for Fall

2009-08-07T00:38:00.000-05:00

Despite the heat around here- and the fact that it's not going anywhere for a while, the stores are already gearing up for Fall and Winter. I know that there will be more to add later, but here's what I like so far:

This dress from Gap is perfect for Fall in the South. We have warm weather until October (if not longer) and it's hard find something that looks Fall-ish without burning up. I gave up on the 'no open toed shoes after Labor Day' a long time ago, but I still like to dress appropriate for the season if possible. I'm sure that sounds a little ridiculous, but I can't help it...it bothers me.

I think this rain coat is adorable. It can be found at Mini Boden.

I'm not usually a fan of yellow, but I LOVE pea coats. This one (also from Mini Boden) would look so cute on Maddie.

I love the green and the mod print in this skirt. (Mini Boden)

These are a perfect way to brighten up a dreary day. (Mini Boden)

Maddie added these boots from Crewcuts to her Fall Clothing Wish List (not to be confused with her Back to School Wish List or Christmas List or her Just Because Wish List, mind you) as soon as she saw them. They are really cute, but I'm not really thinking we can justify that much money for a pair of rain boots. We'll add these to the Ask Your Dad Wish List.

This trench coat (also from Crewcuts) is classic. The ruffles around the sleeves and collar are precious. Maddie calls it a "Nancy Drew Coat".

I think my fascination with coats must have something to do with the fact that we don't get to wear them all that much around here. The color is fantastic and I love the A line style on this one from Garnet Hill.

Have a great weekend!

Yes, Another One.

2009-08-04T10:16:00.003-05:00

I may be beating a dead horse with the meme thing, but I like to learn random bits of info about other people and I usually do when I read a meme they've done. If these bore you, I promise I'll be back with a real post later.

My roommate and I once: Switched rooms with the people that we'd mistakenly been assigned to live with so we could room with each other at the beginning of our freshman year at USM. Because we didn't go through the proper chain of command (because I'm a rebel like that), I ended up having to do all this volunteer work in the Residence Life office filing papers. I think it was a little absurd that it was such a big deal, but I did the crime, so I paid the time.

Is it sad that's the first thing that came to mind?

Never in my life have I: Been on a cruise, ridden a camel, or had the slightest desire to learn Mandarin Chinese.

High school was: Some of the most fun I've ever had. I didn't realize it at the time, of course, but it was. I think it was largely due to my wonderful friends. (Hi Ashley!)

When I’m nervous: I get flushed and have a hard time paying attention to anything but the pounding of my heart in my ears.

My hair: Has always been one of only things on my body that I wouldn't change. Right now, it makes me look like I could be a back up dancer for Kid Rock, what with the black roots and all. The only thing I'm missing is the wifebeater. I hope to have that taken care of momentarily.

When I was 5: I had a two year old sister that got car sick and vomited on my coloring books every time we got in the car to go on a trip. And they were brand new coloring books. And colors.

When I turn my head left: I see my phone, TV remote, and the other half of my king sized bed.

I should be: Exercising, cleaning the bathrooms, washing clothes, mopping...take your pick.

By this time next year: I pray that I am happy, no matter what I'm doing. I have a picture in my head of what I hope life will look like, but as we all know, things don't always work out that way. I want to want what God wants for me...whatever that is.

My favorite aunt is: My dad's sister. We work together, and surprisingly, it's easier than I thought it would be. We've gotten very close over the past several years. Although, I love my other aunts VERY MUCH.

I have a hard time understanding: HTML code, why people keep reptiles as pets, and why my daughter refuses to keep the clothes folded in her dresser drawers.

You know I like you if: I invite you over and let you drink my Diet Coke.

My ideal breakfast is: In bed, around noon, and is delivered by room service.

If you visit my home town: You're probably lost, unless you're a Civil War buff, but if it happens, call me up and I'll be happy to show you around.

If you spend the night at my house: You may need an extra blanket if you're cold natured. We like it cold. I'm asking Santa for a new hypothalamus for Christmas.

The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: Pigs. All my life I've heard of all the things that would happen "When pigs fly..." . Bring it on.

I shouldn’t have been: Born in an area of the country where the humidity reaches 876%.

Last night I: Had a very weird, vivid dream that I'm afraid to analyze too much.

A better name for me would be: At work: Call Light Answerer or Glorified Servant...and to the rude patients- remember that I am also the Keeper of the Pain Medicine. It's always a good idea to be nice to the people that can have a direct impact on your pain management. Or lack thereof. (I kid!) At home: Trash Taker Outer or Granola Bar Buyer.

I’ve been told I look like: When I was younger, I was constantly told I looked like DJ (Candace Cameron) from Full House. The only other celebrity that I can ever remember being compared to is Kelly Ripa (huge compliment as far as I'm concerned). That was several years ago when she didn't weigh 80 pounds and my hair was blonder.

If I could have any car, it would be: A Range Rover. I really should've been born British.

**Found here.

Bits and Pieces

2009-07-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that I'd recently lost a couple of pounds thanks to Jillian and 47 ~~farm animals~~ precious children who ran me ragged a couple of weeks ago during the pageant. Ironically, I've been on a junk food binge since the second I hit the publish button. I am hoping that my craving of all things fried and/or full of sugar and fat has been satisfied at the moment and I can regain some sense of self control. Either that, or I'll need to rename this here blog Bundles of Blubber or The Adventures of Fatty McNasty. I think that last one is sure to bring the gentlemen a callin.

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If anyone is looking for a fabulous, never really used, king sized Hungarian down comforter, I'm selling one on eBay. I bought it on sale, but it the original price was almost $700 at Macy's. Bidding starts at $50 or you have the option to Buy it Now for $300. Shipping is free and I'll be happy to send you the link or email pictures if anyone is interested.

I absolutely love it, but it is entirely too hot down here in the Armpit of America for anything with that kind of warming power and it's way too nice to be folded at the end of my bed instead of going to a good home. I also have the blue/green silk duvet, 2 shams, and 3 throw pillows in a separate listing.

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School starts in two weeks. Typing that makes me want to cry.

But do you know what makes me happy?

This weekend is tax free in Mississippi for purchases less than $100. And I don't have to wander around trying to find 87 different things off a school supply list with everyone else. Some Very Smart Person thought: Why don't we just collect $40 from the parents, go and make kits for all the kids that includes everything their teachers require for the school year and have them waiting for the kids when they come in the first day of school?

Is that not the smartest thing you've ever heard? It may very well be my favorite thing about Maddie's school. Total Win/Win for everyone. And if frees up plenty of time to focus on the important things about starting a new school year.

You know, like making sure you have The Perfect Bookbag/Pencil Box/Shoes/Lunchbox.

Because isn't that what it's really all about?

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I have become quite enamored with watching reruns of The Nanny on Nick at Nite lately and blame that on my lack of Quality Posting.

It's puzzling, really.

The fact that I've been watching The Nanny, that is. Not the fact that there has been no Quality Posting as of late. Because, really? We all know there isn't a whole lotta 'quality' around here on a good day. It's just a great place to come and see how many grammatical errors can be found in one post. But I digress...

Fran Drescher's voice kinda makes me want to cram hot ice picks in my ears, but Mr. Sheffield? His voice is an entirely different story. I've had a little crush on him since he played Shane Donovan on Days of Our Lives.

And according to Wikipedia, he's a Baron. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it sounds regal and important and makes him all the more enticing. Now I need to find out if he's married and if he'd like for me to be his Baroness. I feel certain that's a title that comes with a tiara...or at the very least, a few family jewels and a private jet or two.

I know that living the life of a Baroness would give me tons of Quality Posting Material.

A Giveaway for a Great Cause

2009-07-30T21:55:00.000-05:00

There is a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY going on right now over at Adrienne's. She and her husband, Jim, are trying to raise the money they need to adopt a sweet baby girl from South Korea named Lily. All it takes is a FIVE DOLLAR donation and you can pick from the list of prizes what item you want to be entered to win.

I've been reading her blog for a long time and I can't think of a better mommy for such a precious baby. Go help them out!

Friday Favorites: Monday Edition

2009-07-27T17:30:00.001-05:00

I've been introduced to all different sorts of things through the blogging world and since I like to do my part in helping out my fellow girlfriends, I decided that I would post a few of my favorite things once a week. I think I'll call it Friday Favorites...unless someone has copyrighted that somewhere. And I'll try to post it every Friday. (Novel idea, no?) Chances are I'll make up the rules as I go along.

And, without further adieu I present to you the first installment of Friday (Or Whatever Day)Favorites:

Nike Tempo Running Shorts- I was actually introduced to these comfy shorts by my Precious Little One. Being the Fashionista that she is, Maddie already had a pair. In her futile attempt to keep me in touch with the younger crowd and, in turn, not embarrass her with my Incredible Uncoolness, she bought me a pair for my birthday. I LOVE them. They come in lots of different colors and as Maddie pointed out, have built in underwear so you don't even need panties! Smart girl.

As far as actually running in them...well, you'll have to ask someone else. I try not to do that.

Bare Minerals Make-up- I know that most of you have probably already heard about this, and many of you may already use it. If you don't, you should.

I was very skeptical of it at first, but I don't think I could go back to wearing liquid foundation now. It covers well without the heavy make-up feel and I don't feel like my face looks like I've just come out of a vat of grease at the end of the day.

Tyler Candles- As somewhat of a scent snob, I am very picky when it comes to fragrances, either in my home or on my body. I don't like scents that smell like food (cookies, cakes, blueberry muffins, cinnamon, vanilla, etc) or floral-y (roses, jasmine, etc- with the exception of gardenia, as long as it's in small amounts).

That said, I ADORE these candles. Fleur de Lis is my favorite scent for my house and Diva is my favorite for my car (they also make the little scent thingies for vehicles).

Sanuks- The first time I saw these shoes I thought they were the ugliest things I'd ever seen. Eventually, they started to grow on me a little bit...and then I tried them on. I now have two pair (the pair below and some that are all black). They are some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn and they're extremely lightweight.

Shaper Plus Hair Spray- I realize that this may be a little old school, but for as long as I can remember I've used this hair spray whenever possible. Some of you may swear by another brand, but after trying MANY different kinds over the years, I still keep coming back to my trusty white can.

And there you have it. My first installment of Friday Favorites (that was actually published on Monday, but was started on Friday, so technically I think we can still go with that title).

A Question to Ponder

2009-07-26T20:37:00.004-05:00

While meandering through our local G@p Outlet the other day, I stumbled onto what may very well be the Holy Grail of Summer trends for those of us who are somewhat challenged vertically.

A MAXI DRESS.

More specifically, a maxi dress that didn't need 42 inches of material cut off the bottom to fall where it would on a normal person. Not only was it the right length, it was also on sale and out of the five that were left, one was my size. I don't know if the third moon of Neptune had aligned correctly or what, but I do regret not buying a lottery ticket because, hello, this may have been the biggest stroke of luck I've had since 2001.

The dress looks like this:

photo courtesy of Old Navy

Please note that this model had an entire head on their website, but for some unfortunate reason lost part of it in the copying and pasting it took to move her here.

This isn't the actual dress, obviously, since I'm sure the models at Old Navy are a wee bit taller than five feet tall (honestly, five feet tall may actually be pushing it, but since it's my blog I'm sticking with it), but you get the idea.

Now here's my dilemma.

If I've learned anything in the last 28 years, it's that just because something fits doesn't always mean it should be worn.

Is it possible that I could pull this look off? I'm no longer a size 2 anymore (but I really enjoyed it for the week it lasted). I'm more like a 6-8ish now, but thanks to Jillian and the 30 58 Day Shred, I'm moving slowly backwards- and hope to be more of a 4-6ish in the next couple of months.

I feel like there is a fine line here between "cute Summer dress" and "circus tent". Am I crossing it?

First Things First: Come Up With Better Titles

2009-07-24T22:09:00.002-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that it's the biggest weekend of the year in Blog Land- BlogHer '09. Those of us that aren't in Chicago can be found sitting at home. ~~Whining~~ Blogging about the fact that we aren't there. While we eat leftover Easter candy that we found in our daughter's closet. And waiting with baited breath for posts and Twitter updates about all the fun that everyone else is having. Without us.

Or maybe that's just me.

And no, I'm not the least bit jealous. Or bitter. Not one bit.

As of today, I officially have unofficial plans to go next year. I even have a roommate(s) already.

Now I just have to worry about that pesky money situation. Pesky, as in, I have none.

Since I started blogging, I've always felt funny about "pimping" my blog out. Don't get me wrong- I love traffic around here. I'm fascinated that people from most states and lots of different countries have come by to visit. I'm even more fascinated when they come back more than once. I guess that I just feel like I'm being boastful. Does anyone else feel that way? Is it just a 'Southern' thing?

Come visit my blog!

I'm special. And my life is so ~~boring~~ interesting I know you're DYING to hear all about it!

Please be my friend! And leave me sweet comments full of compliments about how fabulous and interesting I am!

Or it could just be my humongous fear of rejection.

Either way, it's time to face my fears and take one for the team.

I need more traffic around here so I can attract enough attention to get a sponsor for next year just like all of the Big Time Bloggers.

There has to be somebody out there that wants to sponsor a sweet, honest girl from Mississippi. And maybe they'd even be interested in me, too.

The clock is ticking and I've got my Game Face on. It's time to pick up the pace around here and liven things up a bit. Spread the word.

I'm a girl on a Mission.

Without the foggiest idea about what to write about next.

I'm Really Back This Time

2009-07-20T21:14:00.004-05:00

We survived pageant week.

As fun as it was, I am definitely glad that it's over. I did learn a few things this week though...

I am now proficient in telling the difference between a Bump*it and a good teasing comb.

I also know that it is possible to have 47 kids changed from rock star costumes into white dresses and tuxes and have them lined up in order to go back on stage in less than 6 minutes.

Give or take a pair of shoes or two.

A Nint*endo DS is a great portable form of entertainment.

47 of them can keep you from needing an emergency appointment with your hairdresser to cover a head full of grey hair.

Now that I'm back to my regular irrgeular blogging, I've decided that each week (Fridays, maybe?) we'll do a Favorite Things post. Feel free to send me your suggestions!

I'm Alive

2009-07-14T23:36:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to drop in to tell you all that I didn't fall off the face of the Earth.

Not that anybody cares, but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to think that all of you are stopping by and leaving disappointed when there is nothing new posted.

I'd appreciate you all letting me have my delusions. I've decided they make life much more enjoyable.

Anyhoo.

Maddie is in another pageant (as a princess again- not competing) this week so we're spending all of our time at rehersals. Preliminaries start tomorrow night and Saturday night is the final night of competition. If you need me that's where I'll be until then.

If you live in Mississippi, she'll be on TV Saturday night- just look for the cute brunette up front on the left side.

And to my two Twitter BFFs: I MISS YOU!

I'll leave you with a pic from the parade yesterday. Try not to focus on the obviously fake smile and focus on her cute dress instead. And that despite the fact that she was clad in a dress and tiara, she couldn't seem to talk about anything other than her sweaty armpits.

Would anyone happen to know where I could sign her up for etiquette class?

The End

2009-07-07T21:38:00.005-05:00

I wasn't going to write about any of the Michael Jackson stuff, but after watching his memorial today I can't get him off of my mind.

As a musician, Michael Jackson was brilliant. As a performer, he was a genius. I'm sure that many will try, but no one will ever be able to compare. He left an impact on the world that will be remembered for a long, long time. His death is the end of an era, but his music is his legacy that he leaves to us all.

I heard someone mention today that they were so grateful to him for giving up his childhood to make hers a memorable one. I hadn't thought about that, but it was so true. Because his career took off at such a young age, he wasn't able to have the same experiences growing up that the rest of us did. That seems to be the cause of a lot of issues that he had as an adult.

His music was a thread that's woven all throughout my childhood. These celebrities become a part of our life and help shape who we become. Music can be such an emotional thing and since we tend to associate events and times in our life with it, musicians become part of our history, and in turn, we begin to think of them as family. Anyone that has seen the news knows that there are people all over the world grieving like they've lost a family member.

As a person, I've had mixed feelings about him for the past few years. I'm not sure what exactly he was trying to accomplish as far as his appearance goes. For me personally, I found it really hard to look at him. All the child abuse talk really turned my stomach and I have to admit I've not really thought very highly of him since. Naming a child "Blanket" definitely raises a few questions in my mind about his way of thinking, but I work in an area where I do that on a daily basis with names far more strange than that. It all comes down to the fact that I'll never know enough about him to pass judgement on him about his character. I think the fact that he made the Guiness Book of World Records because he donated more to charity than any other celebrity ever says quite a bit. At least his heart was in the right place.

Watching his beautiful daughter speak out today for the first time was heart wrenching.

It also makes everything said and written about him over the years seem insignificant. Both good and bad.

He may or may not go down in history as the greatest entertainer that ever lived, he may or may not have been guilty of doing horrible things to children, and he may or may not have had quirks that the rest of us found odd.

If he loved his kids, made them feel loved in return and did his best to keep the safe and happy none of the other stuff will ever matter.

Because he was their daddy.

And that will always be his greatest accomplishment.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2009-07-06T23:26:00.003-05:00

Some friends of ours called and invited us to go to a Mississippi Braves game tonight. The Braves are our local Minor League team. Or is it called a Farm League, Triple A league? Is there a difference? Clearly I'm an expert on the sport.

Anyway...

We had the coolest day here today that we've had in over a month and it was GLORIOUS! It rained this morning and stayed cloudy all afternoon. It never got above 84 degrees, which is almost chilly as far as I'm concerned.

We had a fantastic time. The company my friend works for has a box that wasn't being used so we were able to hang out in there with the A/C, flat screen TVs, and wait staff. There was no waiting in line for our peanuts and Crackerjacks...we had someone that did it for us. I could really get used to living the good life.

Tonight just reaffirmed what I've believed my entire life.

I was born into the wrong family.

Don't get me wrong- I love my family dearly. I just know that I'd be really good at living high on the hog. It feels right...like it's in my blood or something...

I know, I know...

I'm very fortunate for what I have. I'll shut up now.

The highlight of the night for Maddie was catching a ~~fly ball~~, ~~foul ball~~, baseball. Bet you couldn't figure that out by looking at this picture, huh?

Maddie's friends don't usually have purple and blue dots on their faces in real life, but since I didn't ask if it was ok to post their pics, I covered them.

Just wanted to clear that up.

***Totally off topic, but I WON A BLOG GIVEAWAY! It's my first time to win and I'm so excited! Thanks, Kelly! I can't wait to read my new book!

Meme

2009-07-03T19:36:00.000-05:00

A – An advantage you have : Hmm...Well, I'm short which means I don't have as far to go when I fall compared to other people. Does that count?

B – Blue or brown eyes : Blue

C – Chore you hate : Mopping the floors

D – Dad’s name : Bruce (Bless his heart...)

E – Essential start of your day : I'm not a coffee drinker, so I must have a Diet Coke

F – Favorite color: Probably a tie between purple, blue, and green, unless we're talking about clothes. Then I tend to lean more towards black.

G – Greatest thing you’ve ever done that made you feel really good: I'm not alone in this, but I think that would have to be giving birth. And the fact that I was able to lay there while my nether regions were put back together after my epidural started wearing off without kicking the doctor in the face. That, my friends, is talent. And probably TMI.

H – Habit you have: Diet Coke, Chap Stick, take your pick.

I – Issue you hate that the world tries to make you pursue: Two words: Going Green

J – Job title: Registered Nurse

K – Kohls or Target: Target, of course. Is there any comparison?

L – Living arrangements: Just me and Maddie

M – Music you like: All kinds really...it's more about the artist than the genre. I love Amos Lee, Maroon 5, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Ray LaMontagne, Rob Thomas, Casting Crowns, Kenny Chesney, Jason Mraz, Eric Hutchinson, Dave Matthews Band, Pink, etc.

N - Nicknames: Any name associated with being short

O – Overnight hospital stay: Just one as a patient- when Maddie was born.

P – Pet Peeve: People that don't pick up their feet when they walk, smacking, people that feel they're entitled to handouts without doing anything to help themselves, that stupid texting language, unnecessary quotation marks

Q – Quote that you like most: "Why don't you go back to your double wide and fry something?!" Sweet Home Alabama

R – Right or left handed: Right

S – Siblings: One sister, Courtney, and two step brothers

T – Time you wake up: As late as possible. If I have to work, I'm up around 5:45 am.

U – Underwear: Yes, I wear them. As long as it's not a thong. Those make my head hurt.

V – Vegetable you dislike: Butter beans. Gag.

W – What makes you run late: The clock moves faster when I'm supposed to be somewhere at a certain time- I'm convinced of it.

X – X-rays you’ve had: Nothing exciting- just teeth.

Y – Yummy food you make: I can make a mean grilled cheese...and I'm usually pretty good with sweets.

Z – Zoo animal: Panda bear?

Umm...No Thanks

2009-07-01T20:06:00.004-05:00

I love to travel, especially to big cities. I'm sure that my love of urban life stems from the fact that the town I live in has less than 50,000 people. In the entire county. Yes, we have the basics like Wal*Mart, Mc*Donalds, Kr*oger, etc. However, it ends there. To do any shopping at any store without a conveyor belt we have to travel about 45 minutes.

The tallest building around here probably has a maximum of ten floors, so I'm always mesmerized by skyscrapers when I do get the opportunity to venture out of Mayberry.

I've had the opportunity to travel to lots of different places, but Chicago hasn't been one of them (although it's definitely on my list). I would love to walk down Michigan Avenue, visit Oprah, and eat at fabulous restaurants.

I'd also like to visit the Sears Tower. I can promise you that you won't find me on this balcony though- because you see that glass floor they're standing on over 100 stories in the air?

It's AN INCH AND A HALF THICK.

*Photo courtesy of here.

What Did I Ever do to Them?

2009-06-30T20:36:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why, but it appears that eBay hates me.

Let me back up a bit and explain.

Sunday was my birthday. My wonderful family knew that I've been dying to get a new camera and was kind enough to give me money to put towards one when I found the one I wanted (read: when I found one I could afford).

For the past three days, I have been on eBay nonstop trying to find exactly what I was looking for. And I did.

Four times.

And four times I was outbid at the very last second.

Aren't we in a recession? Why are all of these people spending money on such frivolous things and doing everything they can to make me lose what little bit of sanity that I had left (and trust me- there is very little left)?

There are millions of things for sale on eBay. Why must they bid on the EXACT thing I'm trying to buy?

**Insert foot stomping and fit throwing here**

It's a conspiracy, I tell you.

But, I will not be defeated. I will persevere and I WILL emerge victorious in the end. With my new camera. Mark my word, eBay.

This means war.

Have I Mentioned How Hot It Is?

2009-06-26T15:39:00.003-05:00

Well, hello there!

Once upon a time I had a laundry list of things that I wanted to write about here, but lately I seem to be suffering from a little writers block. It's a sneaky thing, this writers block. I think it's gone until I sit down and open up my laptop and then, BAM. I know that there is plenty going on I can talk about, but I can't seem to put anything together.

Somebody at work the other day called it constipation of the brain. In my case, unfortunately, it is usually accompanied with diarrhea of the mouth, which is a rather unfortunate illness to suffer from in 99% of social situations.

I realize that was a little tacky; however, I work in healthcare. The conversations we have in my department routinely include words that were never meant to cross a Southern Lady's lips. It's part of the job, but the end result is that I no longer have any sort of filter when it comes to talking about any part of the human body and most of it's functions.

Anyhoo.

In other news, I will be turning 28 on Sunday. I am telling you this because I have decided that this is the last birthday I plan on acknowledging. I will stay 28 years old for the rest of my Earthly years.

Unless you want to buy me a present.

And have I mentioned how hot it is here? Because SWEET MERCY it is hot. Oppressive is really the only word to describe the level of miserable-ness that we are experiencing.

The weather(wo)man got me all excited the other day when she mentioned that there was a cold front coming through. And then she said there was another one coming after that. Then she went on to say that these cold fronts would linger around for the first half of next week, bringing us some much needed relief. She went on and on about it for, like, five minutes and I started a little happy dance around the room while I made a mental list of all the things I wanted to do while it was cooler (wash and clean out my car, taking Maddie swimming, etc).

And then she showed the forecast for the next week.

Seriously, Barbie? 94 degrees?! THAT'S the cold front?!

Scratch all the plans. You know where to find me.

I'll be in the freezer.

It's Late and I'm Tired. Use Your Imagination.

2009-06-21T22:44:00.005-05:00

- This may be the only blog post today on the entire web that isn't about Father's Day.

Not that I don't love my dad, because I certainly do. However, he doesn't know about my blog and unless he Googles me, he won't- until I finally fess up to all the fam. And now that I've been writing here for several months, I feel a little silly announcing to everyone that I have it.

Because, really?

There isn't a whole lot of classified info being divulged around here.

I've done a little whining and crying, but that's about it- and I'm not thinking the whining and crying will take anyone I know by surprise.

- I was looking at my followers on Twitter earlier and realized that I have quite an assortment. Just recently, I acquired what appears to be a po*rn star and some woman that claims to have a magical cure for hemmor*hoids. I wonder if they follow each other? And how in the world they found me?

I also am being followed by a few people I know IRL (including my mom), someone that sells organic baby clothes, an OB/GYN, some sort of dating guru, my long lost sisters @BugsMom16 and @PsychWardSusan...oh, and Eli Manning.

Sadly, I think Eli follows everyone that follows him, so I don't think I'm special. He's just being polite.

Cause that's how we roll down South.

- Since I don't have anything of great interest to talk about, I'd like to talk about the weather for a minute.

HOLY. COW. IT'S. HOT.

Those four words sum up our forecast around here until October.

With a few tornado warnings thrown in just for grins and giggles.

And coupled with the oppressive humidity, I'd like to apologize now for all the bad hair days that I will have Every. Single. Day. Until. Then.

And also, for my continued ~~inability~~ unwillingness to Go Green.

BECAUSE IT WILL BE A COLD DAY IN MISSISSIPPI BEFORE ANY THERMOSTAT AROUND HERE GETS MOVED ABOVE 70 DEGREES.

- Someone (ME) clearly wasn't thinking when they signed Maddie up for all these assorted activities this summer. Between the being a pageant princess for two different pageants, a budding thespian career, birthday parties, and work we've had a total of 4 days since school let out that we didn't have somewhere to be.

There has been no vacation in our Summer Vacation.

I'd like a do-over, please.

- I'm sitting here right now listening to the sprinkler in our hall drip into the plastic bowl I put under it. It's been doing that off and on for the past few days and I keep forgetting to tell the manager.

Which is completely absurd since THE MANAGER IS ALSO MY MOTHER.

So, if you don't hear from me for a few days, it's because my ceiling caved in and my neighbors above me are now sitting in my living room.

Or because they only way to cool off around here is to get naked and sit in the freezer.

And I'm not sure if my wireless Internet works in there.

WDW: Magic Kingdom

2009-06-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

It's time for another Walt Disney World post- since I know y'all have been waiting with baited breath.

Magic Kingdom is my all time favorite park. There is absolutely nothing that compares to walking in the gates and seeing Cinderella's Castle sitting at the end of Main Street. I get just as excited now as I did when I was little, if not more so.

Seeing the look on Maddie's face the first time she saw the castle is probably my MOST favorite memory from all my visits. It was priceless.

Here are just a few highlights.

Magic Kingdom is shaped like a wheel with the Castle in the middle and each land branching off from there. It's divided into lands: Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Main Street, and Mickey's Toontown Fair.

Main Street

Main Street is designed to look like a typical main street in the U.S. would have looked at the turn of the century. The buildings house gift shops and assorted eateries like an ice cream shop and a candy store.

It is also where you will find people lined up and varied times for parades and to watch Wishes, Disney's fireworks display, every night.

Let me be the first to tell you that you've never seen fireworks until you've seen Disney fireworks.

Daily itineraries can be found at the train station that you walk through when you enter the park. You can also rent strollers and lockers here.

Tomorrowland

Once you walk up to Cinderella Castle, the first "spoke" to the right will be Tomorrowland. Here you will find Space Mountain, Astro Orbiter, Stitch's Great Escape, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority just to name a few.

I have admit that out of all the lands in Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland is probably where we spend the least amount of time.

This is partly due to the fact that Stitch's Great Escape was Maddie's first ride when we got to the park for the first time and it scared her (because of the darkness) and Stitch spit on her new Jasmine costume which ROYALLY ticked her off.

*photo courtesy of wdwinfo.com

Mickey's Toontown Fair

Located behind Tomorrowland and Fantasyland is Mickey's Toontown Fair. Here you will find Mickey's house, Minnie's house, Goofy's Barnstormer, Pete's Garage, and Mickey's Toontown Fair Judge's Tent.

Here are a few pics of Minnie's house. It's exactly like I would have pictured her house to look like. Isn't it cute?

Pete's Garage is really a bathroom. Pretty clever disguise.

These pumpkins are growing out side of Mickey's house.

The Judge's Tent is where you can find different characters for photos and autographs. There are three different lines. The last time we went there was one for Mickey & Friends, one for Princesses, and I'm not really sure what the other one was. I do think they change periodically and not all three lines are open all day. The times can be found in the guide that you pick up with parade info.

Some of these lines can be pretty long, but it's air conditioned, so really- who cares?

**2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th photo courtesy of wdwinfo.com

Fantasyland

Fantasyland is my favorite land, by far. It is home to Dumbo, Cinderella's Carousel, It's a Small World, etc.

Cinderella's Carousel. Did you know that Cinderella's horse is the only one with a gold ribbon on it's tail?

This is the loading area of It's a Small World. It's always been my favorite ride, but now it's because it lasts almost ten minutes and it's air conditioned. If you haven't noticed, I'm not a big fan of the heat.

Good thing I live in Mississippi.

If you go in Tinkerbell's shop pay close attention. She flies around the room periodically and lands in a dresser drawer. She's fast though...you'll probably only see a flashing light through the keyhole in the dresser when she lands. Maddie thought this was the coolest thing (and so did her mama.)

**photos courtesy of wdwinfo.com

Liberty Square

In Liberty Square you can find the Hall of Presidents, the Haunted Mansion, and the Liberty Belle Steamboat as well as several shops and restaurants.

**photos courtesy of wdwinfo.com

Adventureland

Pirates of the Caribbean, Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management, and The Magic Carpets of Aladdin can be found here. Adventureland is also home of the Dole Whip. I've never had one personally, but this treat has a cult like following- odd considering in has no alcohol in it.

**photos courtesy of wdwinfo.com

Frontierland

Two of the most popular attractions in Magic Kingdom are found in Frontierland: Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Those also happen to be two of my favorites, too.

Well, except for the ones with A/C.

Some of My Favorite Quotes

2009-06-16T22:16:00.000-05:00

Movies, Songs, and Television

Every man dies, but not every man really lives. (Braveheart)

Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts. So, when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will. (Hope Floats)

I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible. (A Beautiful Mind)

Why dont you go back to your double-wide and fry something? (Sweet Home Alabama)

It's a mystery of human chemistry, and I don't understand it. Some people, as far as your senses are concerned, just feel like home. (High Fidelity)

One dance, one look, one kiss, that's all we get. Just one shot, to make the difference between happily ever after, and oh? he's just some guy I went to some thing with once. (Hitch)

Tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun (The Beatles)

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. (The Beatles)

It's not the world that I am changing. I do this so, this world will know that it will not change me. (Garth Brooks)

It's true that you are blessed and lucky. It's true that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you. (10,000 Maniacs)

Let your soul shine, it's better than sunshine. It's better than moonshine and damn sure better than rain. (Allman Brothers Band)

Some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way. (Jimmy Buffett)

Live for yourself, you will live in vain. Live for others, you will live again. (Bob Marley)

We're women. We don't say what we want, but we reserve the right to be pissed off if we don't get it. (Sliding Doors)

You never see the hard days in a photo album... but those are the ones that get you from one happy snapshot to the next. (Just Married)

Miscellaneous

For I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream (Vincent van Gogh)

In order to irreplaceable, one must always be different. (Coco Chanel)

I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny. (Coco Chanel)

I can be changed by what happens to me. but I refuse to be reduced by it. (Maya Angelou)

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return. (Maya Angelou)

She lived in capital letters. (Al Carmine in his Eulogy for Marion Tanner)

Being vulnerable is not the same thing as being weak. (Anne Hathaway)

Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t. (Margaret Thatcher)

Be pretty if you can, witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you. (Elsie De Wolfe)

Bible Verses

"And Jesus said unto them ... , "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to younder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you." Romans 1:17

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn." Psalm 18:32-36

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD." Psalm 25:4-7

"Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help. You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:10-12

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:13

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:30,31

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Twitter Funnies

2009-06-15T21:44:00.003-05:00

I started following BestAt on Twitter and have been laughing out loud at these hilarious Tweets. Here are a few of my favorite:

RT @linajk: Been slaving over a hot stove all morning. I'm thinkin this meth is about ready...

RT @awryone: Wife is gone. No breastmilk or formula in the house. Does Red Bull need to be warmed up?

RT @sween: It's 9:00 and I'm going to bed with my wife AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I have to watch the small tv.

RT @stevewhitaker: Thanks to monthly visits from Adobe Updater, I'm growing closer to appreciating how bad PMS must be.

RT @essdogg: I taught the boy to say "Boom Shakalaka" today. You call it the Terrible 2's. I call it a beautifully blank canvas.

RT @sween: A Canadian in America. Day 2. I fear I am assimilating. Just popped a cap in an ass. What am I becoming?

RT @badbanana: I have spent a lifetime refusing to own crappy GM vehicles and my reward is to own the entire crappy company?

RT @yhf: Lost? Don't know where to turn? You must be in the car in front of mine.

RT @Zaius13: Thanks for dousing that flickering ember of my self-esteem before it grew into a raging blaze of self-worth.

RT @sween: It's so heartwarming watching children play "I'm Being Abducted by a Stranger from this Store!" with their parents.

RT @pagecrusher: My new bike light is really working out. It illuminated the parked car just before I hit it.

RT @essdogg: Without a doubt, the worst side-effect of gender equality is the couples baby shower.

RT @BrilliantOrange: Every time you use air quotes, I want to "punch you in the face."

RT @nevenmrgan: If your house listing doesn't include any pictures, I'm just going to assume your house is a fat guy.

RT @trelvix: I'm off to watch my niece marry her first husband. I'm supposed to stop calling him that.

RT @badbanana: The Pope is on Facebook. I know it's really him because he poked me and now my headache is gone.

RT @lindstifa: Just went from "Maybe I'll get a salad" to "TATER TOTS!" in 0.4 seconds.

RT @awryone: Just got the first scratch on the newborn. There goes the damn resale value.

RT @badbanana: The closing of all these car dealerships stands as a stinging rebuke of the giant inflatable gorilla industry.

RT @joeschmidt: These economic times are making it increasing difficult to drive a Chevy to the levy until said levy is dry.

RT @sokeri: I don't wan t to make any rash decisions, but I'm thinking I should put a salve on that.

RT @CcSteff: Niece pops up from behind a chair and says "Here I am." Teaching her to follow it up with "Rock you like a hurricane."

RT @Tony_D: You'd be surprised how many times you can fit "sitz bath" into a single conversation.

RT @badbanana: This cough is like a baby. Can't shake it.

RT @badbanana: I have reached a level of exhaustion usually reserved for people who stand up and/or move around during the day.

RT @aedison: I haven't been myself lately, but that's the life of an actor! Also, schizophrenia.

RT @eoporto: If me and my sister are out with you, and both texting; we're texting about you. Just so you know.

If I Wasn't Exhausted a Clever Title Would Go Here

2009-06-08T21:34:00.003-05:00

It's a shame that I have nothing to write about, considering I've been going nonstop since I got off work Wednesday. It's been mostly pageant stuff, which is pretty boring for anyone not directly involved.

Oddly enough, I'm not a "pageant person". I've never competed in any and neither has Maddie. We decided when she was a baby that it wasn't fair to the other kids, because of course she would win! (I'm joking, by the way. Kind of.)

Plus, I'm not into that whole pageant dress thing. You know, the "bedazzled cake frosting" look.

Or eyeliner and a fake tan on a five year old.

Maddie won't be competing this time either; she's the princess of one of the contestants (read: I paid money for her to dance on stage and walk out to hand her contestant a flower after her talent competition.) And since I ~~got conned into~~ was asked to be the Princess Coordinator (a title this important deserves capital letters), you can find me at our city auditorium until Saturday.

I'll be the one yelling variations of: "Sit down!", "Quiet!", "Smile!", and "Who does this shoe belong to?"

Jealous, aren't you?

I thought so.

Back to the Land of the Living

2009-06-03T09:13:00.007-05:00

It looks like I've made it through seven straight nights at work.

Well, at least I think I have. I'm not sure what day it is and I have no idea when I last washed my hair, but all in all, I think we'll consider it a success.

I honestly think that I'd like to work nights, but I can't imagine Maddie not being able to sleep in her bed that many nights in a row on a regular basis. She had a hard time the last couple of days, which made me feel terrible. (Well, except for that little part of me that loves the fact that she still wants her mama.)

Working at night definitely had some perks. I had plenty of time to ponder the important things in life. You know, like, who decided that buttered popcorn sounded like a good jelly bean flavor? Or, who decided that Heidi and Spencer were a good idea (together or separate)?

Gag.

On the plus side, I'm now off until June 15. Unfortunately, it's not because I'm going on vacation. Maddie is going to be in a pageant next week (she's not competing, she's a princess of one of the contestants) and I'll be working as the head Princess Wrangler. It's going to be a long week, but it's lots of fun.

I'm telling you that so you can remind me next week when I'm ready to lose my religion.

In other news: Look what I got today! I found it half off on Amazon and couldn't pass it up. I also didn't really need to spend the money on it, so I did what any smart girl would do.

I called my mom and told her that I'd bought my birthday present from her so all she had to do was give me the money for it.

Wasn't that sweet of me?

I thought so.

MTV Movie Awards

2009-06-01T03:08:00.004-05:00

I love award shows. And I love to add my two cents in on what everyone's wearing, the acts, etc. Tonight it's the MTV Movie Awards. I also like to pretend that other people care about my commentary.

First of all, I have to be honest and admit that I had no idea who Andy Samberg was when they introduced him as host. That alone probably makes any other comments I have null and void and proves that I am just as uncool as my eight year old told me I was.

Megan Fox, you are precious! Your shoes? Not so much. And what's with the scowl? Raise your hand if you think it's because she's hungry.

Zac Efron is adorable, but goodness gracious...there is a thin line between cute, shaggy hair and sheepdog.

Rob Pattison's voice? Yum. I have a thing for British accents. Maybe I should move to England?

Slim Shady is back in all of his trailer park fabulousness. Thank goodness he didn't bring his wife beater.

**We (I) interrupt this commentary to make a confession: I tried to watch Slumdog Millionaire, really, I did. But, honestly? I hated it. Don't tell.

Just saw a commercial advertising the 472nd season of The Real World. In Cancun. Once upon a time, I would have known this and been waiting with baited breath. Sadly, I'm not that interested anymore. Next thing you know I'll be playing bridge and dying my hair blue.

Or*bit gum now comes in a Big Pack. That completes me.

Two words can sum up the reason that New Moon will be a hit. Taylor. Lautner.

Kristen Stewart wore her Converse with her dress. How very emo of her.

I'm still a little confused about the whole angel flying around the room thing. And how his butt ended up in Eminiem's face. He doesn't look pleased. At all.

Is Hayden Panitierre old enough to say those words? I really am getting old.

Miley Cyrus wins Best Song...and eight year olds across the world rejoice!

Basically, the entire night could have been called the Twilight Awards. They should've just put Robert Pattison's chair on stage...I wouldn't have minded a bit.

Because No REM Sleep Makes Me a Little Crabby

2009-05-30T10:31:00.008-05:00

Dear Wal*Mart,

We've gotten to know each other quite well in the past few years, and for the most part, our relationship has been without major conflict.

That is, up until now.

I appreciate the fact that you're concerned with appearances and that you've decided that it's time for a face-lift, although I don't necessarily think it's of utmost importance- seeing as how your nearest competition is 45 minutes away and all.

But, whatever blows your skirt up...

You see, the problem that I have is that you've taken your entire store and turned it into one big seek-and-find game. A Where's Waldo of sorts. Only with toilet paper. And golf balls.

As much amusement as that must bring to your employees to watch us wander aimlessly looking for toothpaste only to find that it's now located with the shoes, it's really time to get yourself together.

Or at least group similar items in the same vicinity.

Because, really?

As much since as it may seemed to have made at the time, Tylenol should never be with art supplies and shampoo doesn't belong in the jewelry department. Bottom line.

Oh, and the make shift pharmacy made out of plywood (with a combination lock on the door) that sits where the self checkout once sat?

Super classy.

Thanks so much,

A Loyal Customer (because she has no other options)

P.S. While you're updating, do you think we could get some new shopping carts? Or more specifically, ones that have four wheels that move simultaneously? That would be lovely.

A Meme

2009-05-28T01:29:00.004-05:00

Just passing the time. Yes, I'm well aware that some of these questions are rather stupid. Got this from Jen at Cheaper Than Therapy. She is not stupid. She's adorable.

A

-Are you available? It depends. Shopping trip? Yes. To clean your house? No
-What is your age? Very close to 30.
-What annoys you? Whining, ill mannered children (mine and yours), I could go on and on...

B

-Do you know anyone named Billy? My grandfather's name was Billy (and still is actually, but since he died a few years ago I'm not sure if he still answers to it.) And no, it wasn't short for William. Just Billy (God bless the rednecks). I called him "Papa".
-When is your birthday? In exactly one month. June 28
-Who is your best friend? Ashley aka The Blogger That Doesn't Blog

C

-What is your favorite candy? Duh. Cadbury Mini Eggs
-Crush? Oddly enough, lately I've been on a musician kick. Jason Mraz, and of course, Chris Martin. Typically, that's not my type at all.
-When was the last time you cried? Earlier tonight. I was watching Punky Brewster. (Shut up.)

D

-Do you daydream? All the time. Usually at the wrong time.
-What is your favorite kind of dog? The one that lives at your house.
-What day of the week is it? It's Thursday...I think.

E

-How do you like your eggs? Chocolate eggs, made by Cadbury.
-Have you ever been in the emergency room? A time or two. Since I work in a hospital and all...thankfully, it's been a while since I've had to go as a patient.
-Ever pet an elephant? Not that I can recall.

F

-Do you use fly swatters? I have, but I don't own one at the time. I don't know if I've ever used one successfully?
-Have you ever used a foghorn? Pardon?
-Is there a fan in your room? Why, yes there is. How did you know?

G

-Do you chew gum? Yes I do. Icebreakers Cubes (spearmint) is my favorite.
-Do you like gummy candies? Only the sour ones.
-Do you like gory movies? No, but thanks for asking.

H

-How are you? I'm beginning to lose my mojo. Not so sure about this working at night business...
-What is your height? Think of the shortest person you know, then subtract two inches. That's me.
-What color is your hair? The same from root to tip, thanks to Michelle.

I

-What's your favorite ice cream? Homemade vanilla
-Have you ever ice skated? No. I know my limits.
-Ever been in an igloo? Have you?

J

-What's your favorite jelly bean? The fruity flavored ones.
-Have you ever heard a really hilarious joke? Once or twice.
-Do you wear jewelry? Yes. Would you like to buy me some? I'm fond of the really sparkly kind.

K

-Do you know karate? Sure. I've seen Karate Kid.
-Have you ever flown a kite? I've attempted it. I don't know if you would say I was successful at it.
-Do you think kangaroos are cute? Umm...no.

L

-Are you laid back? Generally.
-Lions or tigers? Is that a football question?
-Do you like black licorice? I don't like any licorice.

M

-Favorite movie as a kid? Dirty Dancing. I was a heathen.
-Ever shopped at Moosejaw? No. Do they sell shoes?!
-Favorite store at the mall? Sephora. Sigh.

N

-Do you have a nickname? If it refers to being short, I've been called it at least 25 times.
-What is your favorite number? I don't know...25?
-Do you prefer night or day? I prefer nights when I'm not working.

O

-What's your one wish? If I tell you it won't come true.
-Are you an only child? Yes, but don't tell my sister.
-Do you like the color orange? It's not in my top five, but it'll do.

P

-What are you most paranoid about? How much time do you have?
-Piercings? Just the ears. I'm not into pain.
-Do you know anyone named Penelope? How random?! We were just talking about the name Penelope earlier. Punky Brewster's name was really Penelope. I think it's cute.

Q

-Are you quick to judge people? Sometimes, yes.
-Do you like Quaker Oats? I do when they're in chocolate no bake cookies.
-Know anyone that makes quilts? Yep. Pottery Barn.

R

-Do you think you're always right? No. I know I'm always right. :)
-Do you watch reality TV? Me? Never!
-Best rock band of all time? The Rolling Stones

S

-Do you prefer sun or rain? Depends on what I'm doing.
-Do you like snow? What is this snow that you speak of?
-What's your favorite season? Spring. Or any time you can walk outside and not smother from the humidity.

T

-What time is it? 2:30 AM or 0230- take your pick.
-What time did you wake up? 9:45-ish

U

-Can you ride a unicycle? I'm not sure if I can ride a bicycle anymore.
-Do you know anyone with a unibrow? Sadly, yes.
-How many uncles do you have? I can count six off the top of my head.

V

-What's the worst vegetable? Butter beans. Gag.
-Did you ever watch Veggie Tales? Nope. We watched Roly Poly Olie at my house.
-Ever considered being vegan? I think that's illegal in Mississippi.

W

-What's your worst habit? Two words. Diet Coke.
-Do you like water rides? Yes.
-Ever been inside a windmill? No.

X

-Have you ever had an x-ray? Only on my teeth.
-Ever used a Xerox machine? Wow, these questions are random.

Y

-Do you like the color yellow? Not particularly, but don't tell ALL the walls in my apartment.
-What year were you born? I'm the youngest mom in Maddie's class.
-Do you yell when you're angry? NO! NEVER!

Z

-Do you believe in the zodiac? I don't know. I do know that the characteristics of Cancers fit me to a tee.
-What's your sign? Cancer. I'm a crab.
-What do you think of when you hear the word "zero"? How does someone know my bank account balance?

Burning the Midnight Oil

2009-05-27T16:46:00.002-05:00

For some unknown reason, I decided to work seven nights in a row for a coworker that needed some time off.

Well, actually I do know why I decided to do it. One word.

MONEY.

Admitting that makes me feel a little cheap.

But not cheap enough, you know, to not do it. (Not that I have a choice at this point...)

Working 84 hours in one week is tough during the day, so I can only imagine how rough it's going to be at night. But, like I said, I need the money.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've gotten really motivated to pay some bills off.

Mainly because I want to buy a couple of things and I cannot justify it in any way, shape, or form until I lighten the debt load around here.

At least I'm motivated, right?

Night shifts generally tend to be a little slower (Lord, please), so I may be looking for things to keep me ~~awake~~ entertained at 4 AM so it's very possible I could crank out a post or two; however, I cannot be held responsible for anything that happens around here in the wee hours of the morning.

Including run-on sentences like the one above.

Consider yourself warned.

Kate Plus 8 Minus Jon

2009-05-25T20:25:00.005-05:00

It's probably safe to assume that I wasn't the only that watched the season premiere of Jon and Kate Plus 8. I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever seen two people look as miserable as they did tonight. From the outside, it looks like somehow they've lost themselves and the focus of their relationship in their quest for money and fame.

Unless you've been living under a rock the last couple of months, you know about all the drama surrounding the family. Supposedly, Jon has been having an affair with a 23 year old teacher and Kate has been getting super friendly with her married bodyguard. There's also rumors that Jon has been living in an apartment above the garage for the last few months and that Kate offered him the option of an open marriage in return for his continued participation with the show.

Even before all the marital strife surfaced, people have been fascinated with this family. There are entire websites devoted to tearing them apart, episode by episode. They critique everything from their parenting style to Kate's hairstyle to Jon's passiveness. It's a little disturbing if you ask me. (Not that you did.)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are other websites that do nothing but sing the praises of each member of the Gosselin clan. They think Kate is the Supreme Mother of Mothers and take up for everything that is said about the family. As far as they're concerned, each and every thing she says and does is absolutely brilliant.

I probably fall somewhere in the middle. I don't think Kate is Satan's sister, but I don't think that a uterus of steel qualifies her as Super Mom either. I think she's a little overbearing and a lot Type A. She's probably brought a lot of her problems on herself. I think she's had some pretty cringe-worthy moments over the past couple of years and I don't think she always handles things appropriately. But while we're being honest- all those things could be used to describe me (a mom of one) at some point. And I feel certain they could be used to describe all of the other moms that use their free time to pick her apart. The only difference between Kate and the rest of us is that we were lucky enough to not have cameras around to capture our least proud parenting moments and broadcast them to the rest of the country.

Odds are we'll never know the whole truth about what's really happening in their new million dollar home when the cameras stop rolling. When it comes right down to it, it's not any of our business. Regardless of how you feel about them personally, these kids deserve to have a normal childhood with two parents at home that love them...and each other. This family has turned into a train wreck...all for our viewing pleasure.

Bullets

2009-05-22T21:44:00.008-05:00

Maddie left today to go and see her daddy for the weekend. I've been dreading it all week, but because ~~I'm determined to be the favorite parent~~ I want her to be happy, I surprised her by loading my iPod with movies and TV shows for her to take along for the car ride. While I was looking around on iTunes ~~trying to find one blasted thing she hadn't seen before~~ for the perfect show, I found episodes from a series that I LOVED when I was younger.

Punky and Brandon the Wonder Dog. Henry, Cherie, and Margeaux. They don't make TV shows like they used to. I probably shouldn't admit to the level of happiness I felt when I found it. I definitely shouldn't tell the entire internet, but yet, here I am. And yes, I'm aware how pathetic this makes me sound. It's okay. I'm embracing my inner dork these days. It's quite liberating, actually.

As of today, I have completed five days of The Shred. Sadly, my butt and abs still don't resemble Jillian's in any way, shape, or form. However, I only prayed for someone to shoot me and put me out of my misery for the first hour that I was awake this morning and blinking has gotten considerably easier, so there's that...

In other Maddie news, I think she has Fifths Disease. She started with a weird rash the other day that I thought was a little sunburn from a field trip she'd been on. I really didn't think much about it. After a couple of days of using cortisone cream on it, it was still there. Thursday, the school called to let me know that her arms were really red and they were a little concerned (read: you're a horrible mother- and now we've made note of it and we're watching to see what you screw up next). In my defense, it looked better that morning when she woke up.

Anyway, to make a long, boring story short, I put it all together yesterday and figured it out. Now, I know that all of you are thinking to yourself: Isn't she a nurse? Shouldn't she know these kinds of things?

The answer is: yes. I am a nurse. I graduated from nursing school and have been licensed by the State of Mississippi to work in this field. However, I am a Labor and Delivery nurse. I can read fetal monitoring strips and check cervix after cervix, but if it doesn't contract or dilate I don't know what to do with it. Especially if I'm related to it. All that useful info I learned during my pediatric rotation goes out the window when it involves my own child.

So, for future reference, if you want to know how to time your contractions, what you can do to relieve round ligament pain, or how you can tell the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and real labor- I'm your girl. If it involves anything else, you'd fare just as well by asking your Golden Retriever.

I want a Bump-It.

I Heart Etsy

2009-05-20T12:12:00.013-05:00

I don't know how many of you shop on Etsy, but over the last few months it has become one of my favorite places to shop online ~~when I should be cleaning the bathroom~~ in my spare time. You can get just about anything from clothes to jewelry to art to pottery to candles...you get the picture. I bought several Christmas presents from there this year and all of my experiences have been positive.

Most of the prices are reasonable and I like the fact that many of the shop owners are moms that are doing what they can to help support their family while they stay at home with their kids.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Smitten and Co. makes adorable tshirts for kids. If you don't see exactly what you want, they're more than willing to work with you to design a cute shirt for your kids. Most of the shirts are around $18. If you've ever priced similar shirts, you know that this is a DEAL.

Lima Bean Kids also has cute shirts for little ones. They also have monogrammed pails, personalized plates and stickers, and stationary.

Byrdie Graphics has decals for your walls, similar to the ones that I have in my apartment. It's an easy way to add a little something extra to your walls without a big commitment- and they're cheaper than buying a big painting or piece of art to fill in empty space.

Mo Stuff has cute jewelry at reasonable prices. She's a fellow Southerner and blogger and mommy to two of the cutest and best dressed little girls I've ever seen.

I also liked these notecards from Petite Papier .

I could go on and on, but for your sake, I'll stop now.

If you don't shop on Etsy, go check it out. If you do, let me know of some of your favorite shops.

Proof You Can Write About Nothing

2009-05-18T22:09:00.008-05:00

There seems to be an internet wide blogging drought going on the past week or so. Several of the blogs that I read regularly seem to be MIA. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe they've forgotten that writing posts for my reading pleasure should be at the top of their To Do List. I mean, PRIORITIES PEOPLE!

*cough* Ashley *cough*

I'd link to your blog, but really, there isn't much reason...SINCE YOU HAVEN"T POSTED ANYTHING.

GAH!

I do have to admit I've been a little uninspired the last couple of weeks myself, but because I'm a team player I'm going to persevere.

Even if it means writing meaningless posts about the fact that no one is blogging, possibly due to the fact that their life is as boring and monotonous as mine.

Because I'm nice like that.

And you're welcome.

In other news, I think that I'm in love.

With Picnik.

These are far from great, but if you had seen the "before" pics (and you could- if I wasn't too lazy to add them) you'd understand.

After playing with the free version, I ended up getting the premium version (which is $25 for a year). Compared to Photo*shop and the like, that's quite a deal. Plus, it's very user friendly.

That sweet baby is my niece, Marley. Couldn't you just eat her up with a spoon?! I haven't seen her since she was two days old and I've never gotten to hold her. My arms ache every time I see a new picture of her...and THOSE CHEEKS. I AM DYING TO GET AHOLD OF THOSE CHEEKS.

Why does Tampa have to be so far away from Mississippi? I was hoping that I could use her to cure my baby fever since I'm not going to be having anymore babies in the near future; sadly, it's only gotten worse.

I haven't figured out how exactly I'm going to do it, but somehow I'm going to see her this summer. I usually fly when I go down there because it's such a long drive, but fundage is a little low around these parts at the moment and I'm thinking gas may be cheaper than airfare for two. I'm determined that Maddie is going to get to meet her only cousin soon.

While I'm there I'm going to have to stage some kind of photography intervention with my dad. If I don't, Marley may be permanently blinded by the CONSTANT OVERUSEAGE OF THE FLASH.

This man can build a house and wire it with no problem, but apparently operating the camera without causing retinal damage to his subject throws him for a loop.

Bless his heart.

**And there you have it.

A post about absolutely nothing at all.

Because I care.

***Blogger keeps telling me that "ahold" is mispelled, like it's not a real word or something. They obviously don't speak Redneck.

The End of the Year and Photos

2009-05-17T11:07:00.005-05:00

Maddie had her dance recital this Friday night. That alone isn't such a big deal, but it means that we no longer have somewhere to be every Monday and Thursday for the next three months. And that makes me want to do cartwheels because it means we're one step closer to summer vacation and no set schedule until August!

The theme for their ballet this year was a variation of The Wizard of Oz. This isn't a great picture, but Maddie was a munchkin.

This was a quick pic before her tap dance. Costume change #2. There was still one more to go after that one. I spent the entire night running from the dressing room back to my seat in the audience and back again to get her ready for her next dance. It was exhausting. I also realized that we spent almost $200 on costumes that were worn about 30 minutes a piece. Lovely.

Maddie had some pictures made a few weeks ago with a photographer in a nearby town. My order came in Friday and they turned out so good, I had to share them with you. These are pics of pics so these don't really even do them justice. I try not to be one of those parents that's constantly talking about how fabulous their child is, but I have to for just a minute.

Isn't she fabulous/amazing/sweet/smart/the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

This is one of my favorites. It looks like it belongs in a magazine.

This one takes my breath away every time I look at it. Isn't she beautiful?

I'd like to find a room to paint the same color as that barn she was sitting in. It's gorgeous. I think she looks like a model in this one.

Okay, I'm finished with all the bragging. Hope you all had a great weekend!