Wanna See My New Home?

So here we are the week of our big move, and I realize that I have been totally remissed at showing you my new home.

WHERE ARE MY MANNERS?! Please forgive my lack of grace and click here to see my new place. Then you'll be able to "oo" and "ah" over it and tell me how to better decorate it because I do not have the golden touch.

I wonder if Antique Mommy makes house calls...

I'm Trying To Get Smart

Mr. Right and I, thanks to our friendly AMC neighbor, had the opportunity to see Get Smart tonight. Oh. My. Lands.

We were laughing so hard that we couldn't stop at times. I was trying to keep my laughing to a minimum so that I wouldn't miss the next lines, but dadgum! I just couldn't do it. I kept laughing and giggling over past lines which was running into the new lines that were making me laugh some more.

It was so good that when I knew that I had to go to the bathroom and there was at least half an hour to go in the movie, I told myself to buck up and suffer because I didn't want to miss a line.

All the characters were extremely well cast. Steve Carell nails Max and Anne Hathaway really kicks tush as Agent 99. The others fit perfectly in the ensemble too.

Note: There were a few crude parts to the movie, but they were few and far between. Overall, I was pretty pleased that the raunch was kept miniscule but the classic comedy was on full throttle.

At the end, most of the audience started laughing and cheering. I like movies that make you want to see it again immediately.

So. Can you tell that we really liked the movie?

If you need to see one, I'd suggest this movie over all the others out there right now. It was just stinkin' funny.

Vote For Me (I've Got Pie!) - Gratituesday 9

It's time for a little shout out to the Lord, so you know that it must be Gratituesday, where one can be vocally thankful for something in life.

I’m most grateful today for bloggy love. There are times when God uses one of you to say the thing I needed to hear or to do just the thing I needed done to feel that extra measure of support, friendship, understanding, encouragement and yes even discipline.

For the record, I don’t like the discipline one so much.

This post isn’t about the discipline one though. Woo hoo! This post is about the encouragement I’ve received of late. Susanne gave me notice yesterday that I was up for a bloggy award at An Island Place. What a joy to click over there to see me in the running with the likes of Scribbit or 5 Minutes for Mom!

Great, I've just scared myself because those ladies are in the BIG TIME.

Anyway, I found it funny at the timing because just this weekend, I was thinking about why I'm writing my blog. I've got all the reasons that most of you have, but was it enough for me? Comments have almost dwindled to nothing so it's hard to know if many are reading. Am I just writing for myself or is all that in my mind? I don't think the little green monster is in the way because I love reading others and seeing that they've got followings in the tens or hundreds.

It was after coming to the decision that I love the friendships that I've made through blogging and if I never have more than 10 comments again I would be okay that God sent Susanne to tell me about the poll. It was like the icing on the cake because do you know what category my blog is in?

"Most Likely To Succeed"

That just makes me giggle at the irony. It's like is God saying, "Hey, I'm not done here and I know that you need a pat on the back once in a while to keep going, so here it is. Now get back to work."

So I'm grateful today for the way that God uses you to help me, even when you don't realize that you're doing anything, and I'd be even more grateful if you went over and voted for me in the polls. My platform is good and there will be a delayed pie celebration at my house if I win. Just wait until we move to come on over. I'll have that spare room ready and I'll probably have found my pie plates by then...

No Post Today

I was so busy swimming with the kids, playing games, reading, going through old boxes in the basement, spending time with Mr. Right (ahem), grilling, eating brownies and talking with Mr. Right's dad who took us out for ice cream that I didn't have time to write a post. Oh, and I took The Girl and two of her friends to a church camp yesterday. We sang loudly and excitedly over many a songs on that 2 1/2 hour trip.

So as you can see, I had no time to post at all because I still had to fit in dreaming about the house and sleeping.

My bad.

So what did you do this weekend?

I Always Pictured Myself As Lizzy, But That's Probably Because I Wanted To Make Out With Darcy...

Take the Quiz here!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and often times find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

Hmmm, often times I am my own sea of ridiculousness...

That Jane Austen. She sure did create some lovely, wonderful characters who are still completely memorable almost 200 years later.

Speaking of Jane Austen, I just finished a lovely novel titled The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James.

I know. I know. It wasn't on my Spring Reading 2008 list at all, but I couldn't help it. I was skeptical of reading it at first because I did not want to see a favored authpress mired in muck or to see her innocence disturbed like with in The Jane Austen Book Club (yuck!), but the back caught my eye most readily.

What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this spell-binding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are only a handful of things in this world that are truly irresistible: Colin Firth in a cravat; a love story gone awry but with the promising outcome of a happily ever after; and a deliciously witty comedic scene a la Jane Austen." This delightful book might be added to the list as well.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen is written from Jane Austen's perspective in the form of one of her undiscovered journals. It brings Austen to life through the use of past letters, known details and possible experiences that may have inspired her books. James does an incredible job of making the book sound as if it were straight from the mind of Austen, while in no way making herself out to be Jane Austen the writer.

James captures all that is best and true about Jane Austen. She satisfies on every score...except that perhaps of a happily ever after, for everyone knows that Austen never married. Even the hardest of readers will be caught and enchanted and praying for an ending that will not come.

For those with an unquenchable thirst for more Austen, this is the book to satisfy that thirst, at least for a while. For those readers who do not mind a bittersweet ending, this one is sure to enthrall. For those wishing for knowledge of how to be a writer like Austen, well, that can found, too.

Another Giveaway That I Don't Really Want YOU To Win

So since I'm all about trying to win free good stuff (Target gift card from Blogged-In, A&E Romantic Classics from everyone - but most presently Barb), I might as well tell you about the Netflix giveaway at Kelli's place, Living In Grace. She's giving away a mighty fun prize.

"I'm giving away FOUR! FREE! starter memberships to Netflix. You will get a one month subscription to Netflix, and can rent up to three movies at any time. So, if you play your cards right, you could watch between TWELVE! and SIXTEEN! movies FREE! at home.

But wait! there's more!
Netflix also lets you watch movies on your computer! Instantly!

But wait! There's even MORE!
The winners will recieve a Movie Goodies Box from me, full of yummy treats to indulge in while watching their movies! (To win, you will need to be willing to trust me with your physical address).

Word on the street is that you shouldn't trust her at all. I'm just sayin'...

I don't want to tell you because I'm stinkin' selfish and I'd love to watch some of may favorites-but-I-don't-own-them movies, but really, it's worth the 10 extra entries to hope that you'll enter and then "forget" to tell others because you want to win too.

Hmmm, I was just thinking... I wish that someone would have a Colonix giveaway. I think my chances would be MUCH greater at winning that kind of prize because I'm probably the only one who would want to win something like that...

The Birthday Fun

Sorry Mom and Chris... you'll have to wait til next Monday for the high school memories and the really great music.

Thank you all so much for the sweet birthday wishes. I did indeed have a wonderful day! It's amazing how much fun you can have when you and your family are pretty footloose and fancy free.

I posted the birthday list before we did anything that day, so there were a few minor additions to it.

First of all, the weather was supposed to be rainy and cold, but one of God's gift to me was a beautifully sunny 70 day. The kids and I took the opportunity to plant some flowers while Mr. Right was mowing the lawn. The hanging pots were missing from our pretty view.

Secondly, our neighbor, the one who works for AMC, came over to see if we wanted to go see a movie. (He gets free tickets and he offered them to us.) So we went to go see Iron Man, which I must tell you was thoroughly enjoyable. There were a couple of parts that I wish the story left out - like a one night stand, but they only implied the one night stand, not showed it. But the story was witty and enjoyable, the graphics were phenomenal and the time was well spent. Oh! And stay to the very end past the credits. (We always stay to find the caterer... don't know why, we just have always done that.) Anyway, we stayed to the end and there was an extra little bit at the end.

Dinner couldn't be any better... except maybe if Addie and Ben could have made it. The food was delish and the company was even better. I think we all had a great time together.














Everyone came back to the house for desserts, wine and fun. The funny part about the evening was that a couple stopped by to pick up a sheet for the house and began looking in the back yard. The Girl came running in to say that a weird man was checking out the house, so Mr. Right went out to check him out. Next thing I know, the man is inside looking around the house. Ummm, did I mention the fact that it was my birthday and I didn't waste anytime cleaning a thing? So there were unmade beds, dirty laundry and a kitchen that had the telltale signs of baking. I ran up to at least try to compile the dirty underwear into one place and to put away the ironing board. Next think I know, the man's wife is looking at the house, and I begged someone to come upstairs with me to make the beds and to clean the toothpaste out of the sink. (Thank you, Laura!) The funny thing is that if that couple buys this house (and they did seem very interested), then that will prove once again that it's God in control, not us, because we broke every house-selling rule that day. We had guests, we didn't have a clean house, our kids were climbing the trees, and we literally aired our dirty laundry. I find the entire situation truly humorous and fitting to the honor of God. Kind of like the walls of Jericho falling down with only some people walking around and blowing trumpets. We'll see if they want it, but if not, it's at least a great story...

The rest of the night we relaxed, played charades and SWAP! and enjoyed each other. (Oh, and I received some wonderful gifts. I'm geared up for chocolate, coffee, there's a new planter on the front porch, an AMC giftcard, a new Bluetooth piece for when I'm willing to talk on the cell, and three wonderful massages in my future. Oh, and my kids made me the most precious coupons to use with them later. I can't wait to use them!)

I plopped into bed, tired and happy. I couldn't have had a better birthday at all. It's good to be 37.

I've taken the day off to go on a field trip with The Boy. I'll catch y'all on the flip side tomorrow.

Birthday Bites

Hey, did you know that my birthday is coming up in a week? Normally I wouldn’t beg for a gift, but seeing how it’s not actually for me, I think I’m allowed this little faux pas in birthday etiquette. I mean, you would generally WANT to get something for a friend’s birthday, right? And I'm your friend, right? So I’m just going to cut to the chase and tell you want I want most in the world. And it’s probably within your grasp to provide it.

What I want more than anything in the world for my birthday - which really isn’t until next Saturday, May 3rd, but hey at least you won’t have to worry about it arriving on time - is for you to make a donation of $10 for a mosquito net. But it’s not for me. It’s for others who really need them to stop the malaria epidemic. Want to know more about it? Watch the following to find out more.



Want it in print? Head to Bite Back to find out why these nets need to be bought… now. So that we can bite back at a senseless, stoppable disease.

I would love to have the donations to be in the hundreds or heck thousands! To encourage your outpouring of birthday love (but more importantly love to families in need), I’m holding a special giveaway for those who donate for those who give me this special present. There’s nothing like a giveaway to encourage this blogging force!

Leave a comment when you’ve bought one for my birthday. And if you made a donation already, yay for you, but it doesn’t count! You have to buy one with me in mind… because buying one for someone else and then giving it to me just doesn’t have the same special feel in a birthday present. (See? I’m nothing if not self-centered, but you knew that already, I think.)

So the giveaway will work as such: for every one hundred comments that state that you’ve bought my present (on blogger’s honor of course), I will give a prize to one randomly chosen commenter. The prizes are yet to be determined because once again I’ve had a brainstorm without having all the details. But they will be good prizes, I promise… not some piece of candy that I found squished in the side of the couch. I’ll post pictures as soon as I figure out what the prizes are.

Obviously you don't have to be a blogger, but you will need to make sure that you leave a working email where I can reach you if you are one of the chosen ones. And to spread the birthday cheer, these giveaways will be open to the entire blogging world. No matter if you live in Idaho, Italy or Ireland, you give to Bite Back, you're in the drawing!

If you could go one step further and blog about my birthday present and the giveaway, asking your readers to give me a birthday present and directing their “I bought your birthday present” type comments to this post, I'd really appreciate it. (I’m only doing that so that I’ll be able to keep track of the number of giveaways I’ll need to have.) Then ask them to blog about this birthday present thingamajig to their friends… and so on and so on. Get the word out people! It’s party time, and I want everyone to know that they’re invited! And really, I want a lot of presents… because I am greedy presents are part of my love language.

I'm not going to give dates for the drawings because as soon as each 100th comment mark is reached, I will have a drawing. So it might be multiple drawings in one day or it might be a drawing every few days. The number of drawings will be left up to you and your generosity.

Personally, I’m someone who loves to celebrate her birthday. I love knowing that I’m still alive and kicking. And I really like the cake and ice cream deal too. I’m looking 37 in the face and laughing myself into a new year.

I just hope that this year I will get best birthday presents that I never got.

It's In The Bag...

It’s that time of year again – the time where you put all your hopes into the hands of others and pray that the Random Number Generator will be your best friend time and time again…

If this is the first time at Shalee’s Diner, then welcome! Coffee is on the house for you, and you’ve just got to try some of the strawberry pie… it’s that good. As the sign says, I’ll be serving the same slop as I always do. Now doesn’t that just make you feel special?

If you’re a regular, then welcome back. You’re seats have been awaiting your derriere and as usual, pour your own coffee. I’ll bring “your usual” when I get a moment. Oh, and I’m putting off the 1986 post until next Monday. I don’t think anyone except my Mom or Chris will be disappointed about that delay...

This time I’ve got a fun bag to give away and it just shouts “Spring!!!” And to model it, I once again enlisted the help of The Girl.

Notice the brightness of the bag and those cute, adorable dots?

Did you see how deep it goes?

Just think of all the goodies you could sneak into the pool this summer if only you had this amazing bag!

If you don't need a new bag, can I interest you in a new hat?

Or tiara?

How about an apron?

Hey, you shouldn’t use the bag as The Girl is using it right now… Oooo, she’d better watch it! The Boy is getting bigger and stronger every day and one day, he’s gonna let her know it. I’m just saying... (Oh, I hope I’m not the one around when that happens. That should totally happen on Mr. Right’s watch.)

Alrighty little blogging buddies, if you would like to win this sweet carry-all, leave me a tip telling me what kind of suntan lotion you love to use.

And just to sweeten the prize: for every comment that the winner (yet to be determined by the handy dandy number generator) leaves on the Tuesday through Friday posts, up to one comment a day, I’ll add a mini prize to the bag. (For example: If you’re the winner of this giveaway and you leave comments on Wednesday’s post and Thursday’s post, then you get two addition prizes that will fit in the bag. Make sense? And don’t ask me what they are because I only just thought of this little brainstorm, and now I’ve got to figure out what those prizes might be. Sometimes I'm too smart for my own good...)

So the more you actually talk to me, the more you can win! It's a win-win for everyone, especially me because I love chatting with y'all!

The drawing, open to ALL bloggers - no matter if you live in the tundra of Siberia or the tropics of South America or any place in between - will be left open until 12:00 CST Friday night (April 25th). I’ll draw the winner on Saturday, and please, for the love of trying to make things easier on poor old waitress, would you be kind enough to make sure that I can easily contact you? If you don’t have a blog, then please leave your email address so that I know where to leave the check tip.

You Can Quote Me On That

Chilihead posted some quotes that were her favorites. I thought I’d totally piggyback on her and do the same. Because I am a copycat. And that’s what friends do. They steal good stuff from those they love. You can quote me on that.


"I intend to live forever. So far, so good." - Steven Wright

"I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific." - Lily Tomlin

“The 12-step chocoholics program: NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE!” – Terry Moore

“A friend is someone with whom you dare to be yourself.” – Frank Crane

“Just do it.” – Nike

"Live today as if it were your last." - Anonymous

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” – Elizabeth Kubler Ross

"Live and learn. Die and forget it all" - Shalee's Mom

“Be still and know that I am God.” – God

"A face without freckles is like a night without stars." - Anonymous

“God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame.” – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.” – William Goldman

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.” – Henry Ford

“I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it.” – Jack Handey

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.” – A. A. Milne

“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” – M.K. Gandhi

“Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” – Thomas Jefferson

“I love you, Mommy, more than anyone else in the world... but not more than God.” – The Boy

“Mom, this is my Favorite Meal ever!” – The Girl (said at almost every meal)

"You gonna eat that?" - Mr. Right

I have to stop now. I could go on forever… I didn’t even add any movie quotes, and I have a number of them! What about you? What quotes mean something to you or just make you smile?

Prêt-à-Porter, Fiesta Style!

Welcome to my closet! Come in, come in. There’s not much room, but maybe if we rotate a bit, I can get you all in here.

Chocolate strawberries anyone? How about some mozzarella sticks? Oh and just take your pick of wine or Diet Coke (Blech, if I do say so myself). If we run out, I’ll just send Mr. Right out for more. He’s really good like that.

Comfy? Good. Now let me share a bit about myself with you so that you can understand my closet a bit more.

I cannot express to you enough my loathing of shopping for clothes. Well, loathe is too strenuous of a word, but the idea surrounding “loathe” fits.

Dislike
Have an aversion to
Find it a huge waste of time

Yeah all those fit. There have been 4 times that I’ve actually enjoyed shopping for apparel.

1. The first time was with my mom back in 1987. One day, she walked up to me and said, “Let’s head to the mall together and hit the sales.” I don’t ever recall her asking to do this before – just us girls, one on one. (Sure we shopped before, but this was a big deal, like one woman to another.) I went and had a great time with my mom. I think I liked it mostly because I was actually with her, talking, laughing and getting her unstuck from dress that thought it was Venom. Oh, and we had Milano’s Pizza, the best pizza bar none. That was memorable too.




2. Next was the time when I moved to Nebraska to be with Mr. Right. He said that my clothes, my good Southern clothes- thankyouverymuch, wouldn’t be good enough for a single winter day, even if I wore them all at the same time. I told him that I had sweaters and he laughed. In my face. It was a good thing that I loved him! Alas, he was so right. I froze my patoot off until I had a real coat and clothes to go under them. Plus, I felt like Pretty Woman, without all the sex and Polo. (Virgin, remember? And Nebraska! No Polo player worth his weight in salt would go to Nebraska for the game. Sheesh…)




3. Then there was shopping for my wedding dress. I did it with Mr. Right and my mom. Yes, Mr. Right helped to pick out my wedding dress. Hey, I figured that if I’m going to blow that much money on a dress, I might as well pick one that he liked too. It turned out to be the fourth dress I tried. AND it was on sale. Bonus! (I still tried on other dresses because hello! Wedding dresses! You don’t get to try those on every day…)




4. Lastly, there was the day I took The Girl out of school to shop at the Junior League store. That was a blast! We both left with some “new” things to add to our closet. More importantly, we left with a memory that still makes us both smile.
   

Four times out of 36 years of living is quite pitiful. I recognize this fact. But I am the way I am. I don’t like all the fuss and bother of trying on new clothes, and really when I think about the money it can cost, it just sets my heart racing. ($40 for jeans! $100 for a new coat! $150 for shoes! Ack!)

If it were up to me, I’d run around naked as a jaybird. But then again, I’d be in a loony bin. Not nearly as much fun as being crazy on a blog. So I do have some clothes to show you after all. You’re welcome.

Mind you, I’m a working woman. I mean that I work outside of the home as well as taking care of the home. I have to wear “appropriate attire” in the office. So here goes…

In this array of clothes, you’ll find Ann Taylor and Banana Republic Suits, Gap, Express, Wet Seal, Liz Claiborne, Talbot’s, 5th Avenue… and others that I can’t even remember. Can I just share with you how much I really like well-made clothes? Well, I do. I just don't like going to get them...

Sometimes I wear these when the boss is gone. Tee hee!

By the time I’m home, I just want to chuck these clothes and head straight for the jammie pants. So I do.




But when I’m ready for a play date with Mr. Right or time out with a friend, you can find me in some comfy clothes like these:













Now, knowing that I don’t want to go and shop and that I cringe at the thought of spending a ton on clothes, you might ask how I own some things that take time to find.

Here is where Big Mama might want to avert her eyes. I’m pretty sure she won’t answer the phone any more when I call if she knows this about me.

She gone? Good. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Come closer because I can’t let everyone know…

I got all of the above on ebay (and more that I didn't show you - there were 74 pieces all together) for less than $150… including postage. That works out to $2 per piece! Fortunately for me, the sellers did all the hard work of putting it together. Now I don’t have to wonder if A goes with Q or if I have anything that will go with that shirt. It’s all done for me. Remarkably, every single thing fits perfectly - even the jeans - and is in style. Woo hoo! If you realize anything about me now, it’s that I don’t have much of a fashion sense which is alright with me because that just leaves me more time and energy for the fun stuff like reading and eating. You can send Big Mama back in now.

And that concludes the tour of Shalee’s closet. Hope you’ll be able to come back later when I tell you about shopping at another place that will probably have Big Mama breathing hard with disbelief. I know that she’s already trying to figure out how to convince me that the world cannot run without a love for a great pair of flip flops.

Enough of this clothes stuff! Let’s head down to the kitchen and I’ll show the insides of the fridge that has some killer apple pie, brownies and cheesecake. Oh and as always, there’s some kickin’ coffee to go with it. Then we'll talk about how I got my shoes...

Gratituesday

Are you looking for a little pick me up between Sunday and Thankful Thursday? Are you seeking ways that God is active not only in your life, but the life of others? Well, then let me share a bit about Gratituesday with you!

My friend Laura (not the friendship like I am with many of you - this is the real deal! We've been in Chorus together in college, had babies at the same time, played cards and games on fun nights, had girl talks about our men... you know real life friends. And look! She still talks to me! Bonus...)

Where was I? Oh yeah, my friend Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has decided to use every Tuesday as a day to be grateful. She says that she wants to use Tuesday "where I post about something I'm grateful for or something about how God is working in my life. I'm working to expand this and would really like to use it as a way to encourage others all over Bloggyland. Beginning this Tuesday, I'll be using Mr. Linky so that others with blogs can write their own Gratituesday post, then link up at my site...and then we can all read about how God is blessing people!"

Sound like your kind of everyday encouragement? Then head on over to Laura's place and let the gratefulness begin! It's really easy to think of a praise when you stop to recognize how God loves each and every one of us.

My gratefulness is the joy of having employment that I actually enjoy. I can't be a stay at home Mom; our finances are such that I must work if we're going to do fun things... like eat and have electricity. I know. We're wild here. But I am constantly amazed that God has given me a wonderful place to work, with two coworkers that I really like, and for a boss who is kind, fun and understanding, especially when it comes to the kids. Where else could I have lots of time to read books, blog and still feel as if I've accomplished something good in a day, like executing a meeting for 20 people with only a moment's notice? Having a job as such takes the sting out of not being at home. Thank you God for this wonderful way to make a living.

Now what about you? Do you have something for which you can be grateful? If you feel like sharing, write your own post, spread the word about Gratituesday and add your words to the Mr. Linky! It's so much easier to be happy when you remember that you have reasons to be!

Punctuation!

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

Too bad I married a colon… (Kidding, Mr. Right. Just kidding!)

So what do you think?  Right?  Wrong?  I need to hear from you.  I'm feeling down right lonely of late...  Tell me what you think and if you take it, tell me what YOU are and we'll see how accurate/inaccurate it is for you.

My 15 Minutes of Almost Fame

So I had another one of my dreams last night.

This dream was great because I went to spend some Girl Time with BooMama in Alabama.  And boy, did we have all sorts of excitement!

First off, Sophie had been remodeling her house.  She was just taking the crow bar side of a hammer and pulling up beautiful wood floors.  There were sections of her house where you could see way down (like 20 ft) to the next floor and on the lower level she had done the same thing in another area to where you could see in the basement.  But she was doing it in such a way that it looked like a modern art piece, really unique and inviting, despite the fact that you could fall to your death.

(Now before y'all start telling me that there are no basements in the South, let me remind you that I grew up in the South and already know this bit of housing information.  When I met Mr. Right, decided that I couldn't live without him and that I just had to get married to him because, gosh... I really did want to have his babies, I moved to Nebraska.  Where they have basements.  I had to ask him what that area was called and was it really safe to go down to a room below a house.  He gave me a strange look, took me by the hand and led me down there.  I think he was sweet because he wanted me to have his babies too...)

Anyway there was a basement.  But it's a dream and you can do weird/neat things in dreams as you will see.

So while Sophie is remodeling her floors, she looks up and decides to pull a few boards that lined her staircase... which was exactly where David, Alex and The Boy were relaxing.  Those kooky boys.   They were all calm, peaceful and still.  This is where I should have realized I was in a dream - no movement from The Boy is a rarity.  They all paid no mind to Soph because this was life with her, and what can you do?  (The Boy looked a little leery, but he's used to some sort of kookiness all his life.)  

We were all wondering if BooMama had gone a little wacky after her return from Africa;  stress was getting to her and we were just going to let her do what she needed to do to work her way through her emotions.  If she needed to take apart her house the way she's taking apart her life and put it back together where she could live in it, all the better.  Somehow we all knew that it would be a better place to live when she was finally done.

Sophie then decided to call it quits after that so we went into the kitchen and she started filling up her flour containers.  Yes, containers.  They were big, too.  I asked her why she had such big containers and she said it was because she bought her flour in bulk because she needed it for all her baking.  Who was I to challenge that kind of wisdom?  Plus, I'm sure I would get some cake or something if I kept my mouth shut.

We went to bed.

Next day, we woke up to David settling the boys back into the stairway, but he was being real thoughtful.  He had laid the area with a king-sized bed sheet and was holding it around the boys while they laid there so that they wouldn't fall through the holes in the wall.  Wasn't that sweet?

Sophie had invited a couple of friends to go with us on our adventure.  To be honest, I can't remember them except that one had long black hair and the other one was African American.  They were both really nice, but let's face it, even in my dream world it's all about me.

And our adventure?  Well, we all know how much of an outdoorsy person BooMama is, so we did one of her favorite things: we went for a long walk on some mountain trail which followed a nice big stream.  Big rocks, lots of sunshine and joy.  That's an adventure, I tell ya!

Coming back to the car, we realized that we had lost one of group.  It was the African American friend.  We split up looking for her.  As I was looking through the parking lot, I saw a young man who was singing and doing some sort of musical number with lots of dramatic hand movements and stage moves.  He was a cross between someone from Stomp and Corbin Bleu.  He was cute, young and energetic.  He looked at me and I did what I would have done in real life:  I joined in.  So while looking for my new friend, I was singing some song and holding my own in our two person scene.  It was cool and fun!

As I headed to the car, I saw that my new friend was learning to dance.  She was afraid to tell us that she couldn't dance, so she hired someone to teach and slipped away to have her lesson while we were on the trail.

Didn't she know that I'm as white as they come and I couldn't dance to save my life?  I'm pretty sure that I would have gotten an "Amen, sister!" from Sophie as further proof...  So I let her dance and headed back to the car to wait for her.

While waiting for the others to arrive, my musical partner came up to me, handed me a paper and pen and said, "I'm in lots of plays around here.  You need to write your name and info on here because when I get back, I'm going to tell my directors that they've got to hear you!"

As I looked down, the first line said "America's Model" and I looked up at him and laughed.  He had to be joking because I don't know of any 36 year old models with two kids, one of which is now taller than her.  I rolled my eyes at him and started to write my contact info (first name and phone number only guys... I'm not completely stupid and unconcerned for my safety!) when Sophie ran up to me and said, "Are you CRAZY?   You don't even live around here!"

I told her to hush up because this was my chance at doing something fun and ON STAGE and I wanted to see where it would go.  She started to poke me to get my attention.  I told her to knock it off because one can't write legibly when being poked.  Then I heard her say, "Mommy?"

And I woke to The Girl poking me and saying my name.

Sigh.  I was almost famous.  I just about had my chance to be somebody.  I coulda been a contenta.  Now I'm back to being a mom and short order cook.

Somehow this role fits me like a glove.  Waking up wasn't such a bad thing after all.  Well, if you don't count the fact that I didn't have a chance to get Sophie's favorite recipes for all things Southern and yummy, and we never get to her favorite Mexican restaurant.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow.  All I have to do is eat a couple more tacos with onions, and I'll just see where they take me. 

This Post Comes With A Warning From The Cleaning General

Word of caution: Unless you really need to clean your screen, I suggest that you set your coffee aside for the duration of the clip. I'm just saying... (says she with a washcloth in her hand.)

Happy Thursday to you all. May your entire day be filled with laughter!

(Tell me something that's made you smile in the last few days.  I'm happy enough today that I'd love to smile with you too.)

Snippits

Yesterday we ran to H&R Block to have our taxes done.  The kids were so good as they sat in the waiting area; all the tax advisors there even commented on their surprisingly most excellent behavior.  (Evidently our kids'  behavior was the exception, not the norm.)  Our advisor suggested in a joking way that we should take them out for ice cream.

Since we found that we were actually getting money back, we decided that we would treat them to Cold Stone Creamery.  It was to be their first time ever to this heavenly place.  

On the way to the creamery, The Boy asked for a snack when we returned home.  We said he could have a snack, chuckling on the inside because they were about to have the best form of snack ever!  We went, they gasped, oooed and ahhhed over everything, took 5 years to make a decision because there were SO MANY CHOICES!, and then they smiled with realization that God made ice cream and it was good.

With full tummies we made our way home.  The Boy quickly quipped, "Do we still get to have a snack when we get home?"  and then he laughed gleefully.  

That Boy... he's such a kidder.

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The Girl is finding that though she is now a member of the body of Christ, The Boy annoys her just as much as he did before she became a Christian.

She's struggling to find the right reaction to him, but at least she's trying.  Oh girl, this is just the beginning...

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I was reminded again last night how incredibly blessed I am to be married to Mr. Right.  This realization came as we were watching the fourth hour of Pride and Prejudice, and he was enjoying it as much as I was.  But he likes chick flicks and always has.  We love to watch When Harry Met Sally, Return To Me, While You Were Sleeping, Notting Hill, Always and many more.

Sigh.  I just love that man.

Edited to add:  Mr. Right would also like it pointed out that he likes Enter The Dragon, LOTR series, The Dirty Dozen, Tora Tora Tora, The Matrix, the Die Hard series, Gladiator, Mission Impossible series and many more.   He's not a wuss.  (Lucky for him, I like all those movies too.)

Disappointment Derailed

Thursday night I really wanted "to get silly" with Mr. Right.  I happily went through the ordeal of shaving my legs, wearing something that he bought for me (that I don't really like but he really does) and I put on some fabulously scented body cream called Seduction.

I was turned down flat from that man.  He was just too tired to do "get silly."

Bummer.  Big fat bummer.  That is one strange man is all I can say.  He wasn't too tired to play a game for an hour and a half.  Hmph.  I would have been so much more exciting than Zelda.  I know that for a fact.

Friday morning, things were off between Mr. Right and me.  I wasn't mad at him, but I didn't really want to talk with him either.  I fought it well, but I know he felt it too.  I did give him a good kiss when I left, though.  There is that.

On the way to work, I realized that I forgot to blog that morning. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do anything about it because of the filter at work. (STUPID WORK FILTER!)

I discovered when I arrived at work that I didn't have my office keys.  (Yes, I thought of you, LW.)  I knew that someone would be along soon, so I wasn't too worried about it.  Half an hour later, my boss finally showed, and thanks be to God, he had his keys with him.  (He doesn't always.)

I found that I had several tasks to accomplish that involved getting other people to put in some effort for me.  Do you know what it takes to get five other people to cooperate so that you can get something done?  Let me just say that sometimes it's not pretty when I have to get all parental.

I found out that all I managed to bring for lunch was my mashed potatoes...  sans butter even.  Well, at least I had something.  

And no matter what I did,  I could not get warm at work.  Cold feet all day is not a pleasant experience.  I even had my illegal space heater going and I was like an iceberg that would not thaw!

I was really ready for a do-over day.  I wanted to just go home, curl up in bed and start again on Saturday.  But then I read this post that Mary wrote at Owlhaven.  What an eye-opener for me.   I decided immediately that I would make some changes so that I too could be 15 minutes better.

I stopped by Panera's to bring home some sourdough bread with our homemade vegetable beef soup that was simmering at home.  It's a luxury that we don't always get to indulge.  It made the meal seem more complete, more special.

Since The Girl was set to go to an all-girl's lock-in at a friend's church and Mr. Right was working late that night, I decided to have a date with The Boy.  We had such a good time.  We went and bought a special candy for us to enjoy during a movie.  Then I pulled out the new Charlotte's Web that I had checked out from the library, we set up the teepee that Aunt Lynnette had given to the kids for Christmas one year and we laughed (okay, I cried - I'm such a a softy!) our way through the movie.  I have to tell you, The Boy sure makes a great date, especially when he's all happy from a Fun Dip!  Some girl is going to have it easy with him later if he stays on the same course.  Just give The Boy some candy and he's like putty in your hands.

Mr. Right arrived home just in time to tuck The Boy into the teepee so that he could continue his night of fun.

After the big tuck-in, I had another date with Mr. Right and finally was able to enjoy was a bit of "silliness".  We were down-right silly, and it was totally worth the wait.

Two dates in one night?  I don't even think I did that in college...

Sometimes all it takes is a new way of looking at things in order to turn a dud of a day into a fun night to remember.

Do You Get My Meaning?

When I saw this one at Barb's, I knew I had to give it a try because honestly, I don't know what Shalee means either. I'm a mystery to be solved, an enigma to me pondered, a person who probably most people meet and thank their lucky stars that they're not me. Well, we all serve some purpose in life. That's one of mine.

What Shalee Means

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I'll go with some of it, especially the part about my being friendly, charming and warm.  Okay the flaky and smart and suave fits pretty well too.  :)

But the bit about not resisting my urges to crush the weak? Classic Type A personality? Sexy?

Anh... it had me going for a while.  I'm going back to my original thought that Shalee is really Irish for idiot.

It's Play Time!

Did you get enough game time in over the holidays? If you’re like me (which if you are, I’m very sorry), then no! Of course you didn’t play enough! So let’s play a game of Scattergories on the interwebs.

Don’t know how to play Scattergories? It’s as easy as eating pie. Use the first letter of your name (or blog name if you’re mysterious that way) to answer each of the following categories. They have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same first initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Ready? Let’s go! (If you decide to play, send me your link so that we all can read your answers. If you don’t have a blog or you don’t want to play in the blogosphere, post your answers in my comments. I don’t mind my comments being a place for fun!)

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What is your name? Shalee

4 letter word: Soap (which should be used for those of you who thought of a not-so-nice different one!)

Vehicle: Streetcar

City: Stockholm

Boy Name: Sebastian

Girl Name: Sierra

Occupation: Sleuth

Something you wear: Sure (or something like it, we hope...)

Celebrity: Steven Spielberg

Food: Strawberry Shortcake

Something found in a bathroom: sanitary supplies

Reason for Being Late: Spur of the moment s*x (take that one both ways - Tee hee hee)

Cartoon Character: Smurfette

Something You Shout: Supper’s ready!

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Well, Mr. Right and I have the blessing of having a night without the kids, so while y'all play the game, we're gonna work on the Reason for Being Late. Too bad we don't have anywhere to go tonight...