Ahhhh..... Marital Bliss.....

To Be 6 Years Old Again ...

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her Birthday was not far off, he asked what she'd like to have for her Birthday. "I'd like to be six again", she replied, still looking in the mirror. On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early, made her a nice, big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Death Drop Roller Coaster, everything there was. Five hours later, they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake. Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's. What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, "Well, Dear, what was it like being six again?" Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. "I meant my dress size, you idiot!"

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he's still gonna get it wrong.

Remember Me???

I feel like it's been a very long time since my last post. So many things are going on right now... building a website, design work, emails, lots & lots of phone calls, setting up business accounts with the bank & paypal and the rest, homework with the kids, and the list just keeps going on. But tonight I took a little "Calgon Mommy-Break" and went to eat dinner with my friends. As tired as I was, it's always good to be with the people who make me laugh. Friends really are the best therapy.

We usually go to the same restaurant every month, but we decided to mix it up a bit and go to a Mexican restaurant instead. A-L-O-H-A!!!

I know... you don't get it. And really, you shouldn't. It's a had to be there kind of thing, but there are at least 10 people who WILL get it and for you few people... well, just know that I'm not making a whole lot of sense these days! The axons and dendrites just aren't firing right...

Had a great time girls... here's the proof...

And by the way... Yes, I am posting late tonight. Yes... I should be spending time with my husband after I ditched him tonight to be with "the girls." But less than five minutes after I came home I heard that oh so familiar sound.... you know the one... S-N-O-R-I-N-G!!! And LOTS of it. I guess the prospect of my coming home wasn't enough to stay awake for!!! So what do I do??? B-L-O-G!!!!

Do you think I'm crazy? I'm kind of feeling a little crazy...

So I'm trying to decide if I'm crazy or not.

Maybe you can help. You see, life was going rather well for me. Last year, around Thanksgiving or so, I made a major life change (...about which there is just not enough energy left in me tonight to pontificate upon the reasons why... or even what led me to that point...). But I changed. I changed alot of things... but mostly I decided that I was just pushing myself way too hard. I've always done that... and it just sort of occured to me... WHY??? Why are you doing this to yourself?

So... I stopped... Stopped pretty much everything... I just relaxed, I did things I wanted to do and not very many things that I didn't. It was just about a 180 for me! And after a while I sort of started to like the new me. I didn't feel frazzled anymore. I was sleeping the full 8 hours a night on a regular basis. Talk about a change!!! So...like I said... life was going along pretty well. See, here's a picture of me then... I'm looking pretty content, don't cha think?

And then... well, then I began to blog. That eventually led to learning more about HTML codes, and at about the same time, I was discovering that the Photoshop software I'd bought to spruce up my photos of the kids did a WHOLE lot more than just crop pictures! There was a whole new world out there that I didn't even know about, and I was really enjoying getting to know it a little better. Digital Design. Love it! Just the thought of it! No more fulfilling my creative cravings with paint -- the mess... the expense... my kids constantly wanting to paint every time I would paint! And I've really missed decorating in the last few years since I'd slowed down with that a bit, too. It was just so hard to do it in a small town with 3 kids. You almost always have to go to Atlanta or at least to Montgomery to help anyone decorate their home. It's not that I don't enjoy painting or decorating -- I absolutely love it! I'm passionate about it, but there is only so much a stay-at-home mom of 3 can do! So there it was.... right in front of me... digital design.

And that's what soon led to my craziness....... oh.....I mean..... I'm not SURE I'm crazy... that's still up for grabs. It's just that things were almost tranquil... even with three kids at home all summer! I was really enjoying doing just the things I wanted to do for really the first time in my 38 year old life. No stress... no worries. And then I decide to start a business. What was I thinking???? Now I'm not sleeping... I'm working every moment I can. My kids think I've been super-glued to my computer chair (and I'm sure my bottom is wondering the same thing! I can already feel the cellulite growing!) But in a weird, CRAZY (there's that word again) way... I'm loving it! And I'm very happy.

So here's a picture of the "new"-old me... See.... I told you I was crazy! Just look at how I'm looking these days... does that look like happiness or what???

OK, I know. It's bad. But it's nothing a little rest can't fix (and maybe some really pricey plastic surgery...). I'll be back to myself in no time! Don't you worry.

Thanks for all your support -- my sweet friends who've encouraged me. And if I'm a little spacey when I'm on the phone with you, well, I promise that it will get better. I'll sleep again soon -- wish me luck... I'm gonna need it!

Do your ever feel like there's glue in your eyes?

Notice the timestamp at the bottom of this post???? Yes, it's a little after 5:00 am... waaaaaaay too early to be blogging!! And I've been up for a while! How long exactly do you think a person can go on with 4-5 hours of sleep a night??

I guess the answer lies in what you mean by "go on" and who the person is. If the sleepless subject is me, well.... I can "go on" for quite a while... half-lucid... half-crazy... borderline schizophrenic... with gaping-mouthed yawns thrown in for good measure. I am tired... definitely bone-tired... but it's all for a good reason. As a I told you in my last post, I'm starting a web-based business designing blogsites. I'm convinced it can work because the girl (Jennisa) who "pimped" my blog has a similar business and it's grown like wildfire in the last 6 months! I'm so excited at the prospect of being able to stay at home, make a little money AND release some of this pent-up creative energy in me that always seems to come exploding out in some new form. So, I guess, THIS is the newest form -- Blog Design!!! I've come up with a business name, and I've started designing my new website. The name is "Kiss my Blog!" as in "kiss my grits." I think it sounds fun & spunky and the "kiss" part is fitting, too... it's like I'm putting a kiss on other people's blogs when I make them over. Makes sense to me anyway. Here's my new header... What do you think??? You can click on the header and it will link you to my new website, too! It's just a work in progress right now but you're welcome to take a look.

Back to the sleep disorder... the not sleeping always happens to me when I get on a new kick. Do you think God gives some of His children more adrenalin than others??? I'm CONVINCED it's so. It's like my brain won't stop.... thinking... spinning... those wheels just keep going round and round... thoughts & ideas... figuring out the latest problems... brainstorming with a passion I call it. And unfortunately the side affect of all those creative juices flowing is ONE TIRED MOMMY!! So, please keep me in your prayers in the next few weeks as I jump a few more hurdles in my life... and don't forget to pray for my little ones, too.... it's been a while since mommy has been quite this busy!

And that brings me to my next topic... The Offspring.

School has been going great.... terrific teachers... lots of structure... lots of new friends. Carpool, however, has NOT been so great. Living so close to our elementary school means NO BUS!! The rule is that you have to live 2 miles away from the school to qualify... my driveway is like 1.99995 on the odometer... you know... right as the 9 is about to turn over to a 0. So, for the past 2 years... twice a day... carpool line. Granted, in the scheme of things that's not that big a deal. But I have had a baby all that time... one who has to be woken up if he's asleep during that magic carpool hour. So, all the moms around here have complained... mainly to each other about the absurdity that there are close to 30 elementary school-aged children on the two streets around our house... we are right at the 2 mile rule and yet, still NO BUS!! Like a friend of mine said... it's feels ridiculous to be sitting in a line at the school for 20-30 minutes waving to all your neighbors around you picking up their kids, too. Come on... don't we need to be conserving that precious $4.00 a gallon fuel that everyone's killing each other over??? Doesn't it seem counterproductive for 20 cars to drive to the school to pick up 30 children when ONE bus good do it all???

So, my fantastic people-person friend, Elizabeth, took the bull by the horns and contacted the school transportation director. She sent out an email to all her friends saying, "Please forward this to Mr. So & So in the transportation office." And what do you know... but the very next morning Mr. So & So called her to say, "DONE! You have your bus, lady. Just PLEASE tell people to stop emailing and calling me!" That Elizabeth... she's so awesome. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, girl! Yesterday was the first day... bright & early... down on the corner... there were tons of moms with cameras and even more children congregating at the new bus stop. We were all sooooo excited! Kids gone by 6:55am -- Now THAT'S a good start to the day!! Kidding... of course. And the afternoon pick up at the bus stop was even funnier. I was late getting down there because Jacob decided to poop everywhere just as we were leaving (sorry, Elizabeth... way to much info for you... I know) so when I drove up... the whole corner was full of people... it looked like a party... and the bus hadn't even arrived yet! That bus driver must have thought we were insane with all the cameras & video cameras filming him driving down the street! But the kids are super excited... it's like a daily party with all their friends! Here's a few pictures...

Blinging Julee's Blog!!!

Another day... another blog design... Julee wanted a little make-over for her blog so she chose an illustration, picked out some paper and then I got to work. My brain feels like mush... a day full of computer code (some that I understand... lots that I don't!!)... strained eyes... exhausted mind... and a sore bottom to boot! But it was all worth it in the end! I'm so proud of myself, and best of all, Julee loves her new look! Click on the header for her blog above if you want to check it out.

With every one I do, I learn a little more.... but it also seems that every one I do throws yet another curveball at me.... some new frustration... some aggravating problem. Yet without those problems I wouldn't have learned all the things I now know, so I try to take them in stride and press on... pain brings gain, right??? And I LOVE TAKING ON A CHALLENGE! I'm already up for the next one... I'm working on a website to...... get this.......

(Daaaa-taaaa-daaaahhh.... drumroll, please....)

START MY OWN BUSINESS MAKING OVER BLOGS!!!

Yup, you got it! Forget the decorating... the sewing... the painting... I think I've figured out how I can work at home... set my own pace... still stay at home with the kids... AND make some money!! Wish me luck... and stay tuned for updates!

Holly's New Website!!!

So my friend, Holly, has been wanting a blogsite. I told her what a great hobby it's become for me... it helps me remember those precious times that as a busy mom of three I was losing track of... it helps motivate me to take pictures so the kids will one day remember these times, too... and it even helps me save money now that I'm blogging at home instead of shopping for the family. I can't say enough good things about what this blog has done for me personally. I just love it! And it's a great hobby to share with friends, too... and therefore the reason for this post.

I told Holly I would help her learn and even design her website for her, so yesterday that's exactly what I did! I'm so proud of myself, and I'm even more excited that I have a new blogger buddy! It's still a work in progress, but I'd love for you to take a look and visit my sweet friend Holly at this address www.hollywilliamsfamily.blogspot.com (just click on the link).

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Tyler -- you sweet thing! We hope you have a great 8th birthday!!!

Crazy moms take too many kids to eat pizza...

Jonathan's in Boston. Walt's in Houston. Joe just wants the house to himself for a while... Just kidding... Joe's at soccer with Kimbell... so Holly, Julee and I decided it would be fun (did I really just say that???) to take all the kids to Brick Oven for dinner. We strategically chose Brick Oven for it's outdoor seating... the kids could be wild & run around without disturbing too many people... well, that is EXCEPT for the one lady who kept staring a hole through us. Oh well, lady... it is what it is. And she should be glad... there were supposed to be 3 more kids there!!! The kids were actually really good, and the mommies actually got to talk... we even got to finish whole sentences!!! You know me... these days I've always got a camera with me so I took a few shots... here they are... I love the one of Mally with her itty bitty cast. Poor thing fell off the ladder on her swingset and broke her arm. She had her cast for less than 24 hours when she just grew a little tired of it and decided to pull it off!! Her daddy took her back today to get a new one!

Back to School Brunch...

Yeah!!! Hooray!!! Yippee Yay Ay! It's the first day of school! Two weeks ago I was sad summer was ending... the stress-free days of waking up late and not having to be anywhere were nearing an end... my time at home with the kids was almost done. And then I woke up one day and thought... hmmmmm.... no more fighting... no more, "I'm bored!," no more "We don't want Jacob to play with us!," and no more trudging through the grocery store with three kids in tow. I can actually do a project without being interrupted 1,000 times! I can go to lunch with my friends! And all of a sudden I was over the funk... no more sadness... I could almost taste the sweet freedom of being alone... all alone for a few hours a day! And then I couldn't wait for this day to come!

So in celebration of this momentous event, me, Julee & Holly decided to have a mommy brunch with all of our friends. After we took the kids to school this morning we came back to my house, baked a few casseroles, made a few pitchers of mimosas and waited for the doorbell to ring. Everyone came with smiling faces and good news about their children's first day of school. I think we all will miss these days of leisure with no homework, carpools and after school activities, but it sure was nice to talk to grownups without being yanked on or having to break up a fight! Being able to finish a conversation with a friend is a true luxury to a mom, and today was one of those rare times that we got to do just that. Thanks everyone for coming -- I had a great time seeing you all!

First Day of School...

Today was the first day of school... 2nd grade for Macy and 4th grade for Madison. We got out the door on time... Hooray!!! Traffic wasn't so bad with 200 less children at our school this year, and the girls did great. They were actually pretty excited about being a grade older. I took a few photos but the teachers really didn't want us mommies hanging out too long, so I was out the door pretty quickly. I can't believe how old they are!!!

Novy, Sutton, Madison & Anna Grace...

Madison's class...

Macy's 1st day of 2nd grade...

Saturday night...

Saturday night our friends Shelley & Robbie asked us over for a cookout & waterslide party for the kids. Shelley and I have been friends since we were about 11 years old, so our kids have grown up together. They always have so much fun together. There were also a few other families there and the kids all had a ball! Robbie always keeps us laughing all night, too. That man will say anything! Here are some photos from the night..

Dance Party Disney Channel Style...
Macy & Garrison

Nothing keeps them entertained like music...

Sarah Grace & Madison eating dinner

My Flickr Mosaic...

1. Amanda Vida, 2. Taco Bell Mascot Statue, 3. Chocolate Browns, 4. President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, 5. Brad Pitt, 6. Macro water drop, 7. Night in Sorrento, Italy, Amalfi Coast, 8. Hersheys Chocolate Cake 2, 9. Don't worry, be happy, 10. Snowmen family in TX, 11. Determined white shoes, 12. PRESH-US

I saw this on a blog, and had to try it for myself. It's a personalized photo mosaic based on your answers to these 12 questions...

1. What is your first name? Amanda (loved the picture because it signifies the most important and meaningful part of my life... being a mom)
2. What is your favorite food? Mexican
3. What is your favorite color? Dark, deeply chocolate brown
4. What high school did you graduate from? Jeff Davis
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Brad Pitt (you gotta love this picture from the early years!)
6. What is your favorite drink? Water
7. What is your dream vacation? Going to the Italian coast
8. What is your favorite dessert? Yummy, rich, chocolate cake (the whipped cream doesn't hurt either!)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? HAPPY!
10. What do you love most in your life? My family... Jonathan, Madison, Macy & Jacob
11. What one word describes you best? Determined
12. What is your nickname? Presh (just one of about 1,000 that Jonathan calls me on a daily basis, but it was the first and therefore the one that kinda stuck)

If you'd like to make one of your own, click the link to Flickr below, and follow the instructions listed here:
a. Type your answer to each of the 12 questions into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
d. When finished, save to your computer to upload to your post.

I try to settle my mind tonight, completely overwhelmed with this day. This horrible, devastating day. A day where one local family, living just down the road from us is burying their oldest, a 10 year old daughter, who just a few days ago they thought had a mild virus... something we have all been through 100 times. A child who has a headache, vomits a few times, doesn't act like herself. Little did they know that they would be burying her the same day they had her birthday sleepover scheduled. My heart has been breaking all week for the Allison family and then the phone call comes today... firetrucks... ambulances... Moores Mill Pool... they're doing chest compressions on a child. My friends and I have been on the phone all day trying to coordinate our own plans to hang out at exactly the same place. Now we are all left wondering... what would have happened had we been there? Would we have noticed sooner? Could we have helped? Thank God it wasn't our friends' children who had just left the pool, or for that matter, thank God it wasn't my own child. How selfish am I to think that way?

As of tonight, armed with the latest information from our newscaster neighbor, Elizabeth White, we pray mightily for the family of this precious child. She has taken a turn for the worse and is unresponsive... the doctors have been discussing organ donation with the family. It is so hard to believe. There but for the grace of God go I, right? How many times have we been to that pool, or any other for that matter, and lost track of exactly where our kids are at that moment? I can't help but think about how I left Madison on Monday at the Grove Hill pool for Taylor's party while I went to register Macy & Jacob for gymnastics. It can happen so quickly... and the result is so final... everlasting. I pray tonight for the family of the little girl... I pray for the friend's mom whose care she was in... I pray for the lifeguard who couldn't save her life... and I even pray for the owners of the club. I can't imagine what any of them must be going through right now... but I do pray with all my heart that they will be enveloped in the healing power of God's love. I pray for all the people who may be receiving her organs in the very near future -- may God heal them all... may something good come from this devastating ordeal.

May we all take these lessons and apply them to our own lives... Do not take anything for granted... tell the people you love that you love them... show them everyday... be patient and kind... enjoy your life... enjoy each other... we never know when these precious days may end. Good night to you all, my friends who mean so much to me... may all of our prayers in some way help comfort this heartbroken family.

Meet Your Teacher Night...

Last night we loaded up the car with the kids in the middle of a sudden, out of nowhere, thunderstorm to go to Meet Your Teacher night at Ogletree. Macy's room was first... we walked in and the teacher immediately hugs her and already knew who she was! Very impressive, especially for a first year teacher. Macy just loved her and she is so excited about the start of 2nd grade. It doesn't hurt that she has lots of friends in her class, including Thomas & Tyler from down the street. Holly, Weatherly & I are pretty excited about being in class together, too!

Madison had a terrific night as well. She probably has the teacher best suited for her personality,and I'm thrilled! We've had a tough 2 years in the teacher department, especially with her 3rd grade teacher's car accident and her subsequent absence until the second half of the school year. Half of a year with substitutes hurts! But I am very hopeful Mrs. Bumpious will turn things around quickly and help motivate Madison to do her best.

Afterward we had decided to go to the Moores Mill pool for dinner with the family, but the rainstorm altered our plans a little. We ended up at Shakey's, spending way too much money on games and getting like 5 plastic toys to show for it! You know what it's like... put your $20 bucks in the machine, get a handful of tokens, play a few games, win a few tickets, and cash them in for tattoos and candy and dinky little toys that break before you even get home with them. But the kids love it -- it's their favorite place to go, and with school starting Monday we wanted them to have a little more fun before the big day. Here are some pictures from the night...

Men Are Just Simpler

Again... I use the caveman to graphically depict the point... My husband sent this to me this morning... Do you think he's trying to tell me something???

NICKNAMES...
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT...
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20,even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.


MONEY...
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS...
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS...
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

CATS...
Women love cats.
Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

FUTURE...
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS...
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE...
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP...
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL...
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING...
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children.She knows about dental appointments and romances, best friends,favorite foods, secret fears hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY FROM ALL THIS...
A married man should forget his mistakes.
There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

20 Year Reunion

Oh, what a night!!! A little less hair for some, a little grayer for others, a few more wrinkles, maybe a few pounds heavier... but honestly, not a whole lot has changed in 20 years!!! We may be collectively somewhat more mature... hopefully more responsible... a little less insecure... much more thoughtful & respectful... but, all in all, we are pretty much the same people we were in 1988. We have always loved to be together, the bigger the group the better... loved to have a good time... always ready for the next party... and would never think of going home before curfew! We may have mostly all settled down, had some kids, established our careers and all the rest... but deep down, still in there somewhere is that part of us that will never die... The part that still remembers The Mart... driving the loop to Hardee's to see who's out... the ESAD parties... the football games... the dances... the hanging out in the parking lot before school... and all the riding around we used to do! Those memories we'll never forget, and that's what makes a night like our reunion so special. Being surrounded by people who understand you no matter how long it's been, who share all the same memories that you do (or better yet, help remind you of the great times you forgot!)... people who still smile as they drive down Carter Hill Rd. thinking about all the great friendships they made and the good times they shared -- being with those people again is priceless and last night was one of those nights I think we'll all hold dear for the rest of our lives.

I sincerely thank Branden, Amery & Will for all their hard work in organizing the reunion. It was so much fun and without you it never would have happened. KUDOS!