Soccer - Week 3!

The girls had their 3rd soccer practice yesterday. As always, it was hysterical to watch. The kids are actually kinda gettin' the hang of how the game works, but it is SLOW progress.

Here's some pics. Blogger's video feature isn't working right now, so I'll have to add that in later. Their first game is Saturday and just wait til you see their uniforms.

Ashlyn and her fancy footwork.

Anna playing Goalie! She stopped two balls all by herself. She's a pro!

Anna's fancy footwork.

Know what makes 5 REALLY BAD DAYS better?

Yeah baby!

Anna (left) and Ashlyn (right)

Finally - Soccer Pics

I remembered to load the memory card into camera before taking it to soccer practice this time. Amazing task for all I've been through lately. Won't comment much as the video and photos speak for themselves. Ashlyn has on the bright pink ponytail holder and Anna has on the "flowy" purple one.

Ashlyn throwing the ball into play.

Anna taking a quick break.

And now...the rest of the story...

Grab a cup of coffee (tea or other favorite beverage), find a comfortable sitting position and prepare to be amazed by the complete INSANENESS of my last 72 hours.

I could not make this stuff up people - seriously. And while none of it is life-shattering by itself - the fact that it all happened within 72 hours makes it a unique experience.

Little background information - we had the POTATO fall consignment sale this weekend. The day after DH's birthday party, I took over the dining room with all the stuff I wanted to sell and proceeded to tag everything for the next two weeks. I'm also President of POTATO and am training the new Treasurer on how we handle the consignment sale. I worked ALL hours of the sale (2 days worth). The girls were with Nana & Pappy (BIG THANK YOU to them) all weekend and I had planned FOR WEEKS to have Sunday all to myself - no expectations, nothing to do but lay around in my pajamas, watching movies and eating bon bons if I wanted. I haven't had a day - heck not even an hour - where I haven't had to do something or be somewhere for forever.

Friday (1st night of sale) - an error causes us to have to enter all 3,000 cards - AGAIN - at the end of the night. We decided to finish the rest the next morning and leave the sale location around 11pm.
My attitude: Mistakes happen - it can be fixed - no harm, no foul.

Friday LATE - get a call on the way home that new Treasurer has had a BAD family health issue and will not be able to finish her duties for the sale. Have her meet me back at sale location so I can get all her stuff needed for next day's activities.
My attitude: Glad I can help during this crazy time in her life. We've done it with one person processing transactions several times in the past, so am not worried. Lucky I already know how to handle all the Treasurer duties.

Saturday EARLY (6:30am early) - finish tallying cards, prepare for the day.
My attitude: I'm a morning person (annoying, ain't it) and know I can handle whatever comes my way (SUCKER).

Saturday - process another set of 3,000 cards: by myself.
My attitude: Start mentally throttling those sellers that did the cards WRONG. Having fun in my own mind thinking of ways punish said sellers. Involves sharp, pointy things and long hours of Yanni music.

Saturday (noon) - eyes getting very tired from staring at a computer screen for hours.
My attitude: optimistic that we'll balance out for the day. What was I thinking.

Saturday afternoon - no such luck. We don't balance out, so have to start recounting everything: money & cards.
My attitude: Ok - no biggie. We found a couple entry errors that put us back within our limit, but I'll still have to tally cards at home to make sure everyone gets paid what they are owed. I leave VERY tired and NOT very optimistic about having to count cards again.

Saturday evening - DH and I decide to use one of his Birthday gift cards (thanks Mike & Sonia) to a restaurant a couple miles from our house (important to the story). Pretty good dinner, but they mess up our order and take one of our meals off the check. Go out to start the car and nothing happens - literally - the car is dead as a doorknob.
My attitude: Lovely. I start laughing hysterically - because it is either laugh or cry at this point as I am so tired.

Saturday evening (a bit later) - we start walking the 2.5 miles back to our house when I realize I have our neighbor's phone number in my cell phone (thank goodness). Our lovely neighbor picks us up and takes us home.

Saturday/Sunday (sleeping hours) - don't get much sleep. Think I'm coming down with a sinus infection.

Sunday morning - DH helps me tally the seller cards from Saturday. We finish around noon. So much for my "Day of Nothing".
My attitude: Not good. I'm frustrated as I have lost my MUCH ANTICIPATED "Day of Nothing", but figure we might as well get some stuff accomplished since my "day" is trashed anyway.

Sunday morning/noonish - Ashlyn's fish is dying. Anna's fish is growing by leaps and bounds and is literally starving Ashlyn's fish by eating ALL the food given to them each day now. Pitiful thing to watch.

Sunday afternoon - We go to Petco and talk to fish expert (?) who tells us to bring in other goldfish and then get smaller fish that won't attempt to kill each other. As I walk out I step in gum (of course I do).

Sunday evening - toilets are leaking (all 3); go to Lowe's to get stuff to fix toilets. Get something to eat for dinner. Head home. Find Ashlyn's fish has died. Lovely.

Sunday evening - notice house is still making "train sounds" when water is turned on anywhere in the house. Getting a little more worried about it.

Monday morning - DH leaves for work. I have to pick up girls at Nana's (hour drive) at about noon. Hope I can get some things accomplished before I have to leave. Spend part of morning on phone working out POTATO sale stuff while attempting to clean up house. Go to garage to start cleaning out the van. Find water heater is leaking - quite a bit - especially while I'm attempting to wash sheets! Call DH to inform him of leak and we decide on plan of attack that is too boring to list. As I'm on the phone with him a plastic bag that was attached to the side of water heater (full of water) falls off and splashes right in front of me getting pretty hot water all over me.
My attitude: Are you kidding me?!?

Monday morning (1 minute later) - turn around to see a black widow spider frolicking (literally doing a Shakira-style dance right in front of me) at the edge of garage door inside garage by the girls' wagon where we keep all the sports balls. Go to other side of garage door (as I see a similar web) and find another black widow.
My attitude: I HATE SPIDERS!!!!! I grab the spider spray (specifically purchased to get rid of a black widow I found outside our front door last year) and nuke the areas where the spiders are. Start looking around for others and keep looking up thinking one is going to "jump me" for killing his family.

Monday morning (30 minutes later) - get car washed and then I vacuum out the insides, don't get allergy shot, don't get oil changed, don't get eyebrows waxed as planned. And the eyebrow waxing was at the top of the priority list as these hairy caterpillars over my eyes are getting CRAZY.
My attitude: ticked because I didn't get everything done that I wanted to, but glad the car is fairly clean and that I was away from "spider central".

Monday noon - drive an hour to pick up girls who cry when they see me because they don't want to leave Nana's. Understandable, but when you've had as crappy of a few days as I've had all you really want is for your kids to hug you and tell you how much the love you. Not, "AUGH!!!!! I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME!!!! DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE!!!!!!"
My attitude: Let's just try to survive the trip home.

Monday afternoon - drive an hour back home and start making phone calls/doing research on water heaters, water pressure, black widow extermination, etc. Girls are fairly good and let me get some stuff done.

Monday evening - DH picks up bug "bombs" at Lowe's to set off in the garage. He mows the lawn (hadn't been mowed for almost 3 weeks, but we have had 100+ temps and no rain which means he really just needed to mow to cut down the weeds as that is all that grows in this crazy type of weather). Anna proceeds to SCREAM/CRY all through dinner. I get her down and settled a bit and Ashlyn says, "Look Mommy - ants!". I look down and my kitchen floor under the table is dotted with about 40-50 ants.
My attitude: HOLY CRAP! I pick up the girls, haul them upstairs to the bonus room, clear the table, move everything out of the kitchen and start a full out attack on the ant farm that has taken over our home. I swear I saw a few of them with small pieces of luggage ready to move in for good.

Monday evening (10 minutes later) - as I'm finishing up my attack on the ants with my vinegar/cinnamon mopping solution I hear Ashlyn yelling at me from the living room saying she has just peed on the floor. She hasn't had an "accident" like that in months.
My attitude: where's the alcohol - drinking alcohol/not the rubbing kind. DH comes in to find me in tears (as I've literally lost the little amount of my mind left) while I clean up Ashlyn's mess and finish mopping the kitchen floor. DH promptly walks right back out the door to find shelter as he knows the sh*t has finally hit the fan.

Monday evening (1 hour later) - we HAVE to get laundry done. The girls have soccer practice on Tuesday and all their gear is dirty. I am VERY timid about using the washer as the water heater started leaking a fairly large amount of water when I ran it earlier in the morning. There is a laundry-mat not far from here so I sort all the laundry and we load up the van. Been a long time since I've been to a laundry-mat, but I'm up for the challenge and am secretly hoping this is a new type of laundry-mat that has a bar in it. No such luck. I enter laundry-mat, unload stuff, put quarters in the 1st washer and realize I have no detergent or dryer sheets.
My attitude: I literally start laughing out loud. I'm talking "crazy" laughter here. Like psychotic laughter. I was scaring the laundry-mat clientelle which is pretty darn scary in the first place.

Monday evening (1 minute later) - I take all the baskets back to the van and start my drive back to the house to get the forgotten detergent and dryer sheets. A raccoon runs out in front of the van. I hit it. Hard.
My attitude: Of course I hit a raccoon. Why wouldn't I hit a raccoon. The day actually would not have been complete had I not hit a raccoon. DH literally thought I was making it up when I pulled up at the house (again, in tears).

Monday evening (another minute later) - I head back to the laundry-mat where I spend the next couple hours doing 5 loads of laundry. At least I could get them all done at the same time.

So - I now wait for the gas company who is coming out to look at the water heater and the water company who is going to check the water pressure coming into the house. Should be another fun filled day.

ARGH!!!!!!

I....ugh....argh....(profanity)...gotta be kidding me...(shake my head)...AUGH!

...to be continued...

Bend it like...?

Not really sure what we're "bending" while playing soccer, but I guess we will all learn soon enough as the girls met their soccer coach this weekend and we spent their college fund on soccer gear. College is overrated anyway and I'm sure they'll get a soccer scholarship since we are starting this sport so early. What's that you say? Kids start playing soccer at age 2? Great! We're such slacker parents.

Well, I still have no doubt our dainty flowers will have no problem catching up with the kids that have been playing before they could even say the word "ball". We're pros already I tell ya! David and Victoria have already been in our home to check out our soccer prodigies (ok - slight exaggeration - I just watched part of their reality show so - technically - they really were in our home).

We'll keep you posted on their games. Their first practice is tomorrow. I can assure you we will have lots of action shots (or maybe just pics of them picking daisies from the field as the ball goes whizzing by them).

Nana must be loaded!

Actual conversation in the van today:

Ash: Mommy, I want a new house.

Me: A new house? Where do you want to live?

Ash: I don't know. I just want a new house.

Me: How are we going to get a new house?

Ash: Nana will buy it for us.

That's my girl. Except Nana has been trying to get us to move to her town (about an hour away) and I'm beginning to wonder if she is starting to brainwash the girls into convincing us to come down there. Hmmmm.....

The Scarlet "B"

And "B" doesn't stand for beautiful - let me assure you.

Dear Mrs. Snobby Mom *itch,

I had no beef with you when I arrived at the Brentwood YMCA pool for the second time today.* I knew I was not from your 'hood and this was apparently obvious to several people that had already arrived at the pool. I literally was searching for the "Not a Brentwood Resident" sticker that had apparently been stuck to my butt. I did find a small group that was extremely friendly and let me use two of the lawn chairs next to them (thank you ladies).

Anyway, I kept quiet in my little section of the kiddie pool area. I watched my children from the comfort of my chair and played with them when they wanted me to come in. I had had a crappy morning, but was trying to let the heat melt that attitude off me (not hard at 100 degrees).

My girls were whiny! Extremely whiny. All day. Nothing met their insane expectations. I know - shocking for 4-year-olds. That happens - and as a Mom you deal with it. I had already dealt with it for 6 1/2 hours prior to our interaction.

As I was attempting to gather the bazillion items we had brought with us so we could head home, my daughter started freaking out about the three grains of sand that had attached to her beloved orange beach ball. I explained that Mommy would be more than happy to clean off the ball as soon as we got to the van (didn't want her to get near the water again as it would be another battle getting her out of the pool). Daughter continued to whine - not a loud whine - just a typical tired, cranky child whine.

That's when you - obviously a MUCH better mother than me - decided to step in and offer your exceptional assistance (I'm using EXTREME sarcasm here - just in case you missed that). As I was literally burdened with over 80 pounds of cooler/beach bag/towels, you took the ball from my daughter, washed it off in the pool, handed it back to my daughter, grinned at me and said - with us much disdain as you could muster - "see, now that has been taken care of".

Excuse? Me?

Now - let me assure you little Miss-$150-UT-orange-bathing-suit-wearing, full-make-up-on-a-100+-degree-day, wouldn't-touch-the-water-with-10-foot-pole, snotty-*itch - if I had not been raised right I would have knocked you flat out with the 40 pound cooler slung over my left shoulder.

Let that serve as a warning. But - I can assure you I will not set foot at that pool again so the chances of us meeting again are slim. What. A. Pity. I wouldn't suggest you head over to the Y on my side of town though. My "peeps" have been warned about you and they are ready for a smack down.

Sincerely,
TJ-Maxx-bathing-suit-wearing, mascara-only-on-a-good-day Mom

*We showed up originally at 10:15 am as the pool was supposed to be open at 10am. We were then informed by a man in his early 70's that "as of today" the pool would not open for children til noon. This poor man was only telling us what he had been told to tell us, but he was not prepared for the onslaught of nastiness about to come down on his senior citizen self by me and two other mothers just a furious. Let's just say it was not "Be Nice to Senior Citizens Day".

Voice from the past & a little personality insight

I was going through some old CD's and came across one of my faves - Jonatha Brooke. She has that folky sound to her - very soothing voice and a great songwriter. This is actually one of her newer songs. Just makes me happy.



And this is a personality test I took online.

Don't be thrown at the name on the top. Whenever I sign up for a service I don't know much about I just use a fake name (or maybe I live a WAY more exciting life than anyone can guess as a sexy spy and this is my alias). Anyway, before I went to college I took the Myers-Briggs Personality Test (which the above is based on). I was an ENFP. Since getting married and becoming a mother I have become an ENFJ. Yep - I'm more judgemental - interesting. And is anyone really surprised that I am an Extrovert. Shocking, huh?

And here is an interesting quote:

"Rated by psychologists among 2 types least likely to have trouble in school. "
- ENFJ Facts (discoveryourpersonality.com)

No wonder I was such a nerd in school.

You can learn more about my personality traits as an ENFJ here. And take the test for yourself. Let me know your results.

Happy Birthday Chris!

Today is DH's birthday! I won't tell his age, but just know he is WAY older than me (at least 3 months).

We've been trying to plan a vacation for months and it just hasn't been working out too well. That's made us a bit sad so I decided to do his party in a tropical theme. Thought that might boost our spirits a bit. It did.

We had a great time with family and friends. As there are TONS of pictures (I'm such a camera slut), I decided to use do a slide show again. You can just roll your mouse of the photo to see the caption.

And - to my wonderful husband - I hope you have an outstanding birthday. You are a fantastic husband and a phenomenal father. Thanks for putting up with me on a daily basis. I love you.

Fug Thursday - NOT

This is my first time participating in this popular blog activity brought to all of us by Kami. I have often seen individuals wearing things that would qualify, but have never had my camera readily available. Last Sunday I was ready! The Ice Cream Crankin' brought out many people and - even though we were in a fairly prominent area of Nashville - I knew I would find a few unfortunate souls dressed badly. I was right. Unfortunately, my prime Fug candidate came around after my camera battery died (picture black leotard top, black tights, cut off jean skirt and not really the body to pull it off - it would be like me wearing it - AUGH!), but my husband had been informed of our "mission" and quickly yelled, "There - take a picture of her!" I turn around to find him pointing and staring (so stealthy of you hubby) at this gorgeous young woman in a precious black sundress. Yeah, right. He says (sarcastically), "Take a picture of her - she looks awful." Mmm-kay. But, knowing I could use this as a blog post to get my revenge on my hubby's eyeball infidelity I quickly obliged.

Even though I missed out on my perfect first Fug Thursday entry, I decided to tell my story of my husband's quick wit instead. Good one honey (as I roll my eyes).

Brought to you by the flip-flop wearin' Queen of the North.

This Wednesday TKW challenged us to show something starting with the letter "R". So here are my Ridiculous daughters. It is 102 degrees in Nashville today with a heat index over that, but my girls are taking the phrase "think cold thoughts" to new extremes. These crazy chicks demanded that I help them put on their winter coats and hats. They are just not Right!

And the little tassels at the bottom of the coats? Those are from the flapper costumes they have on underneath their coats. We've been doing a little dancing this morning on the newly mopped (and slick) floors.

Popsicle tongues and gorging on ice cream

As I've been a slacker in blogging the past SEVERAL days, I thought I had better provide a good story and some pictures.

Yesterday we went to the Martha O'Bryan Center's Ice Cream Crankin' in the Brentwood area near Nashville. We've been the past several years (other than the one year they decided not to have it - I'm still suffering from ice cream withdrawals from that year) and have had a great time. This year was a bit different.

1. The admission price was $8 per person - including our 4-year-old kids. Holy crap! That is one expensive outing for us. I know it all goes to charity, but geez - give us poor people a break. The fee used to be $5 per person and kids under a certain age were free. Not anymore folks. "Welcome to our fundraiser - give us your wallet."

2. The setup was different. We were used to a certain "flow" to our ice cream indulgence, but we were thrown off our dairy axis on this one. Luckily, my hubby's keen ice cream instincts led him right to all the ice cream stations. His goal is to try every ice cream possible. He fell short this time - slacker!

3. The heat! Oh, the heat! I felt the sweat running down my back the minute we got out of the van (lovely visual - I know). It was right at 100 degrees. Nothing like a field full of ice cream on a scorching hot day. I literally thought I was going to ignite. This is not really different from other years as the event is always in August, but the older I get - the more susceptible I am to heat. Must mean I'm getting close to the "hot flash" stage of my life. Lovely.

The best part of the day was actually the popsicles. Purity Dairy is the main sponsor of this event and they bring out tons of popsicles. Plus, there is a Mayoral election run-off going on and both candidates had plenty of popsicles to pass out. Not sure what it is about popsicles, but they were WAY more refreshing than all that sweet, sticky ice cream being passed around. And to prove that we all enjoyed our fair share of popsicles, here are a few pics of those family members that joined us for the afternoon's activities. Gene Simmons - eat your heart out!

Ash (L) & Anna (R) after their 3rd popsicle.

Uncle Travis & Yayoi

Nana & Pappy

SPF: Rainbow

Brought to you by Random & Odd...

It is pretty drab and cloudy here today, so not much of a chance of a rainbow showing up. However - I did remember that I took pics of some of the girls' artwork from preschool last year and just knew that there was a rainbow in there somewhere. I was right.

Let the bidding begin...I'll even give you a deal if you buy both.

As I just finished the new Harry Potter book yesterday, I thought it necessary to devote TKW's Wild Card Wednesday photo to the boy Wizard.

Yes - I admit - I am a 34 year old Harry Potter fanatic. I have read EVERY book and have seen all the movies. Hi - my name is Shelley I am a Harry Potter-olic.

Anyway - since the Deathly Hallows book was the last in the series I felt I should be part of the book unveiling on Friday night. I was not one of the MANY that stayed at the bookstore til midnight for their book (I had already pre-ordered mine from Amazon and would be getting it in the mail on Saturday), but I did hang in there til about 9:30pm (that's late for me folks). Unfortunately for my hubby, I drug him with me.

It was fun being a part of this literary event and some of the costumes were great. I already have some wonderful ideas for Halloween that should adequately embarrass my hubby (I can't wait).

Now for the picture - this guy was one of the cashiers - they were all dressed up. I almost laughed out loud when I saw him as all I could think of was the little girl in Willy Wonka that turned into a blueberry when she ate that special gum. I kept waiting for a group of oompa loompas to roll him away because this outfit was as blue as it can get. It almost glowed it was so bright. You know those kids working that night HATED having to dress up.

And here is my adoring hubby - reading an investment book while I traipsed around looking at all the costumes and participating in the Harry Potter trivia games. He's such a trooper. And I am such a nerd!

They shall call me Queen Pin

One of this weekend's adventures involved us going over to our friends' house (thanks for dinner Amy & Nathan) and playing with the Wii. I have to tell you I was a bit skeptical of how much I would enjoy a "video game", but after literally bending over in laughter watching my DH and Nathan box I was hooked.

After pulling a Laila Ali on my DH with a KO doing the boxing game, we switched to bowling. All four of us could play - fun! However, in the midst of all the fun my body was suddenly possessed by the spirit of ... hmm.... Ok - I don't know ANY pro-bowlers. Not really my sport of choice - sorry. Anyway, I became Bill Murray's character in the movie King Pin (except without the awful comb-over and the hideous 70's clothes). My best game was a 269 - 10 strikes out of 12 frames. Holy Cow! I'm not sure HOW that happened, but I plan on holding high score status on that game for quite a while.

I would like to thank my bowling & golf teacher in college - that 1 credit require physical education class apparently paid off. I'll be taking applications if you are interested in having me as part of your bowling team.

SPF: Silverware Drawer

Kristine's assignment for this week's SPF is "Your Silverware Drawer". As embarrassed as I was, I took a picture and then decided to clean the sucker out. So I have a before and an after. One set of items I was LONG overdue at taking out were all the toddler spoons and sporks my girls REFUSE to use now that they are "big girls". No non-slip handles for them. So many of those with broken tines and scary bite marks were pitched and the others will go in the POTATO consignment sale. And now I have a spic-n-span kitchen drawer. I guess I'll have to clean out the other drawers and cabinets now - hmmm...maybe not...one drawer works for me - for now.

Before...

After...

Did you play?

That explains all the kicking...

We just added this to our twins club website as well. Hysterical.

Wrapped!

I haven't played for a while, but I'm back with a "w" for Wild Card Wednesday - brought to you by everyone's favorite flip-flop/parka wearing gal - TKW.

My dad was passing through on his way to New Orleans again (works with Disaster Relief on a regular basis down there - I'm VERY proud of him) last week. He stayed with us a night so he could get his grandkid fix. Anyway, he had brought some wraps with him to see if they would help my knee. The girls got a hold of them first, so my dad decided to play with them and wrap their arms and legs. It was pretty funny and the girls got a kick out of hopping around the house when he did their legs.

So here are my girls all Wrapped up - well Anna is and Ash has worked her way out of her wrap.

Hmmm...maybe I could wrap them up in that stuff when I need a few minutes of peace...interesting...

Sometimes you feel like a nut....

...sometimes you just look like one.


These were some shots taken the other day while playing with the dress up clothes. Interesting coordination going on here. I love the Ashlyn's combination of tutu, swimming shoes and hockey stick. And Anna's tie-as-a-belt accessory is stunning and functional as a microphone holder. You just never know when the mood to sing might strike you!


I'm just waiting for What Not to Wear to contact us over our children's dressing habits. Of course I would LOVE for Stacy & Clinton to show up at our house carrying a $5,000 debit card for us to use to dress our kids (well - maybe a new outfit for Mommy too...hmmm). Holy cow! I could buy out Children's Place and Old Navy with $5,000! Oh the power!!!

Ok - I have to go sit down. I'm dizzy with the thought of that kind of money spent on discount children's clothing.

Just craziness....

It was just a nutty week last week. I've really been trying to get organized, but am not having much luck. And how in the world are all these laundry baskets ALWAYS full!!!! Geez!

Lots to cover, but I won't do it all in one post. I have lovely (MAJOR sarcasm there - Loralei Gilmore style) stories about the evil corporate entities - Old Navy and Comcast. Plus, I've been trying to get ready for my first official POTATO officers' meeting tomorrow. I'll be in charge of that one and want to make sure I have everything ready. Apparently, me being elected President of this club has awakened the OCD & ADD characteristics of my brain that I thought had long gone to sleep after leaving my job after the girls were born. Nope - still there - and have apparently gathered strength.

And - on a side note - I think I may have to become a soccer fan. Hello Mr. Beckham!


Back with more soon.

10 on Tuesday

1. I have been working on the POTATO Treasurer stuff for several days (and hours) as I have to pass off my stuff to the new Treasurer at an officer's meeting next week. I just shake my head at how anal I am. I swear, my husband rubs off on me more and more every day. Scary!

2. I will take over as President of POTATO at this same meeting. Holy cow!!! What was I thinking?
*Disclaimer: For those POTATO members reading this blog...I really am excited about this new position. Really. Seriously. No kidding. Wait - am I trying to convince you or myself here?!?

3. My knee hurts worse today - great!

4. Old Navy corporate is VERY condescending when responding to customer service concern emails from customers. Heck with them! Oh - they are having another big sale in a week? Ok - I'll love them again.

5. My Dad is coming to through town tomorrow to see the girls. Not me. Not Chris. Just the girls. Fine!

6. Chris and I are still working on vacation plans. We can't make a decision on this subject to save our lives. Bets are we won't go anywhere, but I'm still hopeful.

7. May be going to San Diego the end of this month! NOMOTC Convention. Would get to see my cousin and his family there. Hope it works out.

8. I really need to be paying bills right now. Oh well...

9. It is amazing how many errands you can complete without two 4-year-olds in tow. I'm lovin' Vacation Bible School right now!

10. Am looking into becoming a "virtual assistant". LOTS of research to do on the subject, but it may allow me to work from home when the kids start school. Yeah!

Karma - it BITES!

So the girls are going to bible school this week. I made arrangements with a friend who's kids are also in bible school to go work out after we drop off the critters each day. Very excited about this opportunity to get back into the habit of working out. We started today. Worked out HARD for about 1 1/2 hours.

Now my knee hurts - BAD!

It has been a bit sore the past month. I just thought it was overuse as I'm trying to get prepared for the 1/2 marathon next year (I'm short - no legs - have to train for a whole year to even attempt to finish - shut it!).

So - no more working out this week - I'm off to the doctor - lovely.

GGGOOOAAALLL!!!

This video was taken the same day as the pics below were taken. The park in Brentwood has the great area with all these soccer and football fields. And the grass - oh, the grass. I literally thought my husband was going to pass out over the grass. The grass on these fields could be the grass on any premier golf course in the nation. I'm tellin' ya people - the grass is definitely greener on this side of town.

Anyway, in an attempt to exhaust our children before bedtime we brought our soccer balls from home to play with. For some reason the girls thought they had to get a 150 foot run to kick the balls the they wanted to. Just watch...

Fun at the park

This will be a VERY boring post, but we went to the park in Brentwood last week after Daddy's dentist appointment and had a good time. I do have a video I'll post in a minute that is hysterical of us playing on the park's soccer fields. Here are a few pics of our time at the park. Anna's in the blue shirt and Ashlyn's in the gray shirt.

Happy 4th pictures!

Sorry - been a bit chaotic here - but wanted to get these on here before there's a riot from the relatives - ha! In the pics, Anna has the white bow and Ashlyn as the red one.

Blah, blah, blah.....Nickelback

Not a very exciting weekend. Anna was under the weather so we stuck close to home. Just trying to get the house ready for company on the 4th today. Plan on a fun afternoon with Daddy tomorrow afternoon though.

Anyway, since this is the most boring post EVER I thought I would spice it up with a song by Nickelback I just can't get out of my head. I'm really liking it. This is not the official video, but the only decent video from youtube.com I could find with this song.

Teachers - meet your new Brats - er, I mean students

Yesterday. Hot day. VERY hot day - 92 degrees and major humidity. Decided to go to the YMCA pool. We've been several times before - no big deal.

Actually - BIG DEAL!

Had a good time throughout the morning hours. Ate our "brought from home, I'm a cheap mom not willing to pay for a $2 concession stand soy burger made by teenagers who probably spit on the food", picnic lunch. As we made our way back to our spot at the pool we saw some friends - mom & 2 daughters. One of the girls was in Anna's preschool class and the three are big buds now. They played for the next hour - no big issues.

Side note - have been visiting a new church for a few months now. Already knew a couple people that went there - saw one of them at the pool.

This nice lady I already knew that attended this church introduced me to two other very nice ladies that were at the pool with their well-behaved critters as well. We were chatting a bit and I found out that two of the three would be the girls' Sunday School teachers (we haven't made it to Sunday School yet). Great! I already felt more comfortable about our choice regarding this church. Then it hit the fan!

The girls were tired. I could see it. And when tired hits, whining begins. So - at the next break I told the girls we would be leaving.

Holy Crap!

The girls had a melt down. I mean whining, crying, hanging onto my legs, towels swinging through the air melt down. Ashlyn even takes off running to the pool and jumps in (kiddie pool) trying to evade my grasp. And - let me remind you - we are sitting RIGHT NEXT TO the two women that will be their Sunday School teachers.

Ladies - let me introduce you to my daughters (who are now doing fantastic reenactments of the spinning head scene in Exorcist). The pleasant (fake) smiles on their face were polite, but unnecessary. They had every right to show the fear that was surely in their minds of having these two kreachers in their class. I can tell you my face was showing NO sign of happiness.

So - after gathering up the 3 HUGE bags of stuff we carried with us and doing all but dragging my children behind me - we made it out of the pool and out of the Y into the van where they fell asleep before I even got the key in the ignition. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

I was SO mad and mortified that I don't think I even breathed until I got home. And - of course - the girls were able to get a 10 minute power nap on the way home so they were ready to play the rest of the afternoon with NO break for me. We had a discussion about what happened at the pool and then had the same discussion when Daddy got home. We discussed that this will NOT happen again, but if it does I will drag them by their toenails all the way out the door and we will NEVER go back.

Now I can only hope the Sunday School teachers will develop some sort of amnesia over yesterday's events. We are actually heading back to the pool today as we had made plans with another POTATO mom, so we'll see how it goes and if the girls come back with all their toenails in tact. We'll see...

Karate Kids

The girls got in Daddy's drawers a few days ago and found his dress socks. They've been big into karate lately - ever since they saw a karate class taking place next to the pizza place we go to on Monday nights. So they thought these socks were perfect for their ninja-wear and put them on. Here's what happened afterward...

It has been a while since we have done this, but this week the topic was "stinky" so we just had to participate. For those of you who are scratching your heads over what "Sunday Six" is - just click here for an explanation. Oh - and I separate my kids when I ask the questions so they don't hear each other's answers.

What stinks?

Ash: a stunk*

Anna: a stunk*

*A "stunk" is Ash & Anna talk for skunk.

What do you do to make something stink?

Ash - spray it

Anna - (giggle, giggle, snicker)

Name something stinky?

Ash - a warthog

Anna - a fox?

How do you make the stink go away?

Ash - hold your nose (she actually just held her nose and I interpreted the answer)

Anna - smell a marshmallow

Who stinks the most in our house?

Ash - Mommy

Anna - Mommy

*side note - I asked them these questions about 30 minutes after I had come in from walking for an hour and had already commented that I needed to take a shower because I was "stinky". I really do take showers and wear deodorant and - very occasionally - I actually put on perfume. SO THERE!

Fishing on Father's Day

Just a few pics from our short fishing expedition/picnic lunch on Father's Day.

This is Anna concentrating on reeling in the big one.

Ash (foreground) caught onto casting quickly.

Happy Daddy's Day

I knew...I just knew...something about him made me know in my heart that he was going to be a good Daddy. Not just a good Daddy really - a great Daddy. That was one of the reasons I married him actually. That and his trust fund (seriously - when is that sucker going to kick in - HA!).

Little did both of us know that we were going to get a crash course in parenthood with not just one baby - but two. I still remember that first ultrasound at 5 months along like it was yesterday. When the ultrasound tech (not sure what they are officially called) told us it was twins - twin girls at that - he just grabbed my hand and kissed me. I remember the absolute joy and terror in our eyes as we looked at each other and then to the monitor to see our girls for the first time. However, I knew if I had him as my partner then we could handle anything. And we've done pretty well so far. Sure, the critters get on our nerves and make us want to pull our hair out at times, but for the most part we have a great time as a family.

These two are definitely Daddy's girls. He would say one of them is Daddy's girl and one is Mommy's, but in all reality they are both his and they have him wrapped around their little fingers. When he gets home from work they want nothing to do with me. Their bright blue eyes (just like their Daddy's) light up and I quickly know that my turn as center of their world that day has quickly passed.

He is a wonderful pretender - becoming a horse, a cowboy, a giraffe or any other make-believe character is second nature to him. It is almost like he becomes a child himself which is why the girls love playing with him so much. He is always up for any crazy idea/activity the girls and I have come up with to spend time together as a family. And he never complains when the girls literally attack him and want to play with him the second he gets home from work. He doesn't get much down time, but that doesn't seem to affect him in the least.

We are so truly blessed to have him in our lives and I thank God each day for him. I just hope the girls grow up to know how blessed we really are.

Happy Father's Day Chris. We love you!

P.S. A BIG Happy Father's Day to all the Dads in our lives as well - Grandpa, Papaw & Pappy. Hope you all have a wonderful day! We love you guys!

Last, but not least...

The wedding was beautiful. Chad is now a married man - who woulda thunk it! I don't have a single pic from the reception as I didn't want to bring the camera in - it would interfere with my "bustin' a move" on the dance floor. Actually, I just didn't want to keep up with it. Plus, I knew there would be other pics from the wedding that I could see later. I saw some old (and by "old" I mean we went to high school together or are from the same town, not "old" in the antique sort of way - because we are all VERY young...VERY YOUNG DANG IT!) friends and we had a great time.

A BIG ***THANK YOU*** to my Aunt Syl and my Cousin Teresa for watching the girls while we went to the wedding. The girls had a SUPER time going on a picnic with them and then trying to drown them at our hotel's indoor pool. Luckily, Syl & Teresa are strong swimmers and were able to fend them off without injury.

The next morning we had breakfast with Tracie (from my hometown & my roommate in Lexington) & Kelly (graduated high school together) and their beautiful children. 4 adults + 4 children age 4 and under = a Perkins restaurant full of other patrons cringing at the thought of being seated next to us - HA! The power of critters! Actually, all the kids were well behaved and we were able to get in some real adult conversation. Amazing! It was great seeing them and we all promised to get together again soon.

And - last, but not least - we took the girls to Winton Woods Campground/Park. A POTATO pal told me about the great kiddie water fountain play area there. We thought that would be the perfect ending to our weekend, plus it would wear their tails out for the ride home - nap time anyone? Here is a video of them playing in one area of the water park.


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

A Face Only a Mother Could Love

Saturday morning we went to the Cincinnati Zoo. As you probably already know we are BIG zoo fans and have posted a bazillion zoo pics on this site, so I won't bore you with too much here. However, the Cincy Zoo was privileged to have a Sumatran Rhino give birth to "Harry" on April 29th of this year. This little (86 pounds!) cutie is just SO ugly, but you can't help but love him. There are better still pics of him on the Zoo's website, but I was able to get some video of him "frolicking" around his pin with his mom. Animal Planet is not beating down my door to hire me as a documentary camera person, but you get the gist.


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

A first crush!

Another installment from our weekend in Cincy. There will be several more throughout the day (as long as the girls keep letting me break away from the dance lessons and pretend restaurant - what has my life become...) so keep checking back.

Our first stop was at my wonderful friend Kari's house in Milford, Ohio. Kari and I met in college as sorority sisters (let's yell a few chants and sing a few sappy songs) at Eastern Kentucky University (Go Colonels!). We've been great friends ever since and try to keep in touch. That's a bit hard as she has three kiddies, a full-time job and a crazy hubby (just jokin' Mike!) to tend to and I have these nutty twins and my own crazy hubby to deal with on a daily basis. Anyway, we had LaRosa's pizza (a local favorite) and watched the kiddies play for a few hours before we checked into the hotel.

I was only able to pop off a couple pics, but this one just cracked me up. Kari's 7 year old son was fantastic with the girls (they have a daughter our girls' age too). He even put on a puppet show for them. So - of course - he became George Clooney to Anna. She was smitten (who uses that word anymore - apparently me). Just take a look at her eyes in this pic. She was ready to walk down the aisle.

Eat Your Heart Out Uncle Travis!

We had a FANTASTIC weekend including dinner and breakfast with some great friends, a wedding, a trip to the zoo and a trip to an amazing water fountain park. I will have many more details to post, but wanted to get these pics one here early so Uncle Travis could enjoy them as soon as possible.

One HUGE benefit of going up North (Ohio) is that we get to partake of a wonderful delicacy - Cincinnati-Style Chili. Now, those of you from (or living in) the South - this is not the chili you know of - far from it actually. This is a VERY different chili - made with cinnamon and designed to be runny as it is mostly used as a topping for spaghetti or hot dogs. You either love it or hate it - there tends to be no in between. And they do not have these Cincinnati chili serving restaurants anywhere near Tennessee so it is a treat to get to have some. We love it! And Uncle Travis LOVES it! This is why we decided to take a few pics during our lunch yesterday before heading back home to Nashville - we love torturing our relatives! Drooling yet Travis...?

See ya!

I'm going to a wedding of a dear friend of mine this weekend. He was one of the 1st two people I met when my parents moved to a small town in Kentucky and we have been great friends ever since. Our fathers were both teachers at the local high school so every in-service day and every snow day we spent together from 4th grade til high school.

Anyway, he is marrying a wonderful girl who knows nothing about his sordid past (kidding Chad). She's as sweet as can be and I'm glad he has found someone that makes him so happy.

We will be heading to Ohio for the wedding, but I didn't want to leave you guys empty screened for that many days in a row. So here are a few random tidbits to keep you occupied.

This is a pic of the girls that Anna's preschool teacher sent me after the last day of school. The girls' teachers have always told me how sweet the girls are which tends to make me laugh out loud, but take a look at their faces in this pic. I mean - how innocent can they look. Puuuulllllleeeeaaaaassssseeee. They have those teachers SNOWED! Anyway, it is a cute pic.

This next item is my Ben & Jerry's flavor - if I was ever to be a B & J Flavor. Seems appropriate....

You Are Phish Food Ice Cream

You've been described as gooey and fudgey. Sorry.

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

National Geographic - Live!

We went to a 1st Birthday Party at the Nashville Zoo on Saturday. Miss Zoe Lawrence turned 1 and we were more than happy to help her celebrate this milestone.

One of the great things about having a party at the Zoo is you get these great foam board animal masks. Probably cost 2 cents to make, but they entertain 4-year-olds for hours. GENIUS!

Anyway, Ashlyn had the lion mask and Anna had the zebra mask. What happened next would make Jack Hannah take a second look. The "lion" started chasing the "zebra" all over the place. It was like watching an episode of National Geographic or a wildlife documentary on Animal Planet. The lion was even roaring while the zebra was squealing in terror/glee. Not sure if zebras actually squeal, but the sound effects were good none-the-less.

Here's a pic of the dynamic duo taking a break from the "hunt". And a pic of the wildlife with Daddy.

Amazing Video!

Ok - the video is not that amazing, but I'm just practicing using my camera as a mini-camcorder and downloading that video to dropshots.com. I'll have to say it was pretty easy and now all you wonderful readers can see live footage of the critters. Can you contain your excitement?!?

This video is from last night when we were outside catching fireflies. The commentary is awful, but the video subjects are cute as all getout!


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos