Month: August 2006

  • Money talks…but it can’t sing and dance and it can’t walk

    Over the last few weeks, Caroline has been introduced to some of the classics. The Little Rebel was on TCM one afternoon and she saw Shirley Temple for the first time. She has become a tap dancing fool. I went and bought three more Shirley Temple movies and anytime the T.V. is on she wants to see Shirley.

    But the timeless classic that she has fallen in love with in the last few days is Neil Diamond. We have listened to Sweet Caroline and Forever in Blue Jeans over and over and over again. I am a proud, proud mama.

    So between Shirley Temple and Neil Diamond, she may grow up wanting to wear really bad sequined clothing with a scarf and gold chains around her neck, curls in her hair and tap shoes on her feet.

    P. has always said that if anyone stole my collection of cds (and really I use the term “collection” loosely) they would return it because it is so bad that no resale store would want my music. I can’t say I completely disagree with him. I’m betting the market for used Carpenters, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, Carole King, Aretha Franklin and Carly Simon is pretty small. But at least I take heart in knowing I am raising our child to share my exquisite taste in music.

  • Environmentally friendly is the only kind of friendly around here

    Well, my goodness…I finally watched this week’s Project Runway and the cats were scratching. I guess the stress level is finally getting to them. That in conjunction with the fact that they had to make wearable clothing out of recycled garbage seemed to push a few people over the edge.

    Anytime you have to make fashion out of something you get at a recycling plant and a craft store…you know there’s going to be trouble. When they showed Kayne’s dress with that huge flower and Tim called it a prom backdrop, I laughed out loud. I was worried though because I usually like Kayne, even if his designs are a little wild. He has that whole Southern more is more aesthetic and it usually works for him.

    Michael, as usual, did a fab job. His outfit was clean, elegant and looked wearable. I said it last week and I’ll say it again, he appears to be the most talented designer. I also really liked Ulli’s dress and was surprised it wasn’t a top contender. Jeffrey’s dress was also good although I’m not sure it was a compliment when Michael Kors said he has a whole “ugly beautiful aesthetic” going on…most women aren’t really looking for “ugly beautiful” when they buy their clothes.

    Where do I start with Laura? I like her style. She hasn’t made an outfit yet that I didn’t like, but my goodness someone forgot to take their medication. She managed to alienate every other person on the show before it was all over. When she told Kayne she always questioned his choices and he replied that he questioned her character? I thought we were about to see a good old fashioned cat fight.

    I was really hoping that Vincent would be the one voted off. Kayne’s dress was bad and Allison’s dress with that Minnie Mouse hairdo…well bless her heart. But Allison has done some really cool things and Vincent is just bad every week. He also creeps me out and I’m pretty sure he creeps Michael Kors out which is probably saying something. Vincent kept talking about his dress turning him on and I was thinking, dude…keep it to yourself.

    Sadly, Allison had to go and Vincent got to stay. Laura apparently wasn’t pleased with this because it ended with her telling Vincent off and I’m betting that at least that didn’t turn him on.

  • Don’t hassle me, I’m local

    Yesterday, Caroline and I went to the grocery store. Now y’all know how I feel about the store and to top it off I waited until the afternoon to make the trip. I don’t want to exaggerate because I want to be credible, so I will be completely honest and tell you that it was 140 degrees outside.

    As we made our way up and down the aisles, Dwayne (the H.E.B. manager) saw us and came bearing the dreaded Buddy Buck. He gave Caroline THREE Buddy Bucks and the news that they have a whole NEW Buddy Buck machine. You can imagine my excitement.

    Our whole trip turned into a barrage of questions such as “When are we going to be done? Where’s the new Buddy Buck machine? When are we going to pay?” At one point I was putting something in the cart when I heard Caroline say “Oh no, Mama! I dropped my beautiful thing.” I had no idea what she was talking about until I turned and realized she had dropped the Buddy Buck. She has lost her mind over these things.

    Finally, we check out and begin the beating that is the Buddy Buck machine. Keep in mind we get THREE turns because we have THREE Buddy Bucks. I’m trying to help her as much as she’ll let me, when all of a sudden I hear myself being heckled by some 8 year old boy in a private school uniform. He’s shouting “Not that way, you need to pick it up there. Move it this way, no this way!” Are you kidding me?

    Finally we get our treasured stickers and it’s a good thing because our milk was beginning to boil and so was my temper. Heckled by an 8 year old? Seriously.

    I called Gulley on the way home from the store to tell her about my experience and she said “Oh I know, they gave us FOUR Buddy Bucks this morning because they want everyone to use the new machine. But the good news is that we got Number 20, so we almost have enough stickers to get our FREE stuffed Buddy Buck keychain!” Apparently, Caroline isn’t the only one who has lost perspective on the Buddy Buck. Of course, me being the savvy mom I am, I didn’t even realize the stickers served any other purpose besides just being stickers. And you know what? I’m keeping that piece of information to myself.

  • The talk of the town

    I talked to Gulley today and she told me that my post about Nena has the whole town buzzing with excitement. Well, maybe not the whole town, but you know…their family and friends which is pretty close to being the whole town. Apparently her mom is there visiting right now and she told Nena and the family that I wrote about Nena on “the computer”.

    Nena said “you mean to tell me she wrote about me on her computer? Oh, my goodness what did she say? A blog? I never heard of such. A blog!” Next thing you know she’s on the phone with her friends telling them that I wrote about her on “my computer” and people “we don’t even know” read what I write. Yes they do, and all eight of them now know about Nena.

    So Nena wanted to read what I wrote and since she doesn’t have a computer, they called Mary Jo. Now Mary Jo is the computer savvy one of the bunch seeing as how she’s the only one who owns a computer, so they were going to see if “Mary Jo cain’t figure out how to print something off the computer.”

    Gulley hasn’t gotten a report back on whether or not they were able to “print something off the computer” yet, but I promise you that I will be getting a thank you note from Nena in the next few days.

    All of this happened today and I just noticed a few minutes ago that Boomama has linked to my post about Nena on her Thursday Thirteen. Nena’s famous! She’ll be so tickled. Thank you Boomama!

    In other Nena news, apparently the Bryan news has this special contest at noon everyday where they’ll call someone who sent in a card and they win a gift certificate to CJ’s Barbecue. Grandaddy has sent in multiple cards and if you call the house between 12-1:00p.m. and you’re not the news…he’ll just hang up on you. This has caused Nena an immeasurable amount of grief already and now that she’s got big news to share about her computer fame…she may be spelling a few cuss words to Grandaddy.

    I’m editing this to add that I just got off the phone with Gulley to tell her about Boomama linking to Nena’s post and I got the update. Apparently, Mary Jo couldn’t get “the blog to print off the computer” so Nena’s friend Dorothy Kay came and picked them all up and drove them to her house to read it off of her computer. Nena was indeed tickled and they decided they were all having so much fun that they loaded back up in the car and went to see The Devil Wears Prada.

  • In my shoes


    Every morning as I get dressed for the day, Caroline is right by my side taking in the whole thing. She goes in my closet and tries on my shoes, my shirts, carries my purses…anything she can get her hands on. When I put on my makeup she has to have some too. So I let her use my makeup brushes and we put on lots of clear lipgloss. If I have freshly painted toes, she wants polish on her toes too, “just like you Mama”.

    When I overhear her in her playroom, it’s like hearing a recording of myself as she talks to her baby dolls. I watch her tuck them in, kiss them, and say “Night night sweet girl, I love you so much. Go to sleep.”

    She got a doctor kit for her birthday and she loves for me to pretend to be sick. She’ll put her little hand on my forehead and say “Mama, do you have a fever?” And she’ll tend to me and pretend to cook me something and pour me a cup of tea.

    Right now she thinks I am the greatest. “Mama, you look beautiful”, “Mama, I want my hair to be shiny like yours”, “Mama, you’re my favorite mama”. It’s an overwhelming thought to think that I am the one who will show her, teach her and guide her along her journey to being a woman.

    It’s an incredible responsibility and one that I am completely ill equipped for in and of myself. I can be impatient, I tend to get stressed out, and I don’t always know when to keep my mouth shut. I am flawed…really flawed. So as I pray for wisdom as I guide my daughter through her life and all that will hold, I realize that the best thing I can do is look at my Heavenly Father and make as much effort to imitate Him as she does to imitate me.

    “Be imitators of God therefore,
    as dearly loved children
    and live a life of love,
    just as Christ loved us
    and gave Himself up for us
    as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
    Ephesians 5:1

  • Marriage requires commitment. Of course, so does insanity

    Today is my 9th wedding anniversary. So yes, pretty much all of my major life events are packed into a 2 week window during the hottest month of the year. Caroline’s original due date was August 15th, so I could have had them all in a 3 day time period, but in a true case of foreshadowing, Caroline had her own plans and showed up 2 weeks early.

    This last spring, P. and I were at a wedding and as we watched the bride and groom take to the dance floor P. got all sentimental and said “those fools have no idea what they’re getting into”. We agreed that when you first get married, you can’t even comprehend all the ups and downs you’ll go through together. New homes, new jobs, new babies, sickness and health, rich and poor…apparently they aren’t kidding around with those vows.

    As well as you think you know someone, there are still so many unknowns until you live with them day to day. From small things, like how they tear a paper towel in half and leave the other half for later, to big things like what kind of parent will they be or how will they handle hard times.

    I can say in all honesty that as I walked down the aisle towards P. nine years ago, I knew I loved him and I knew he was the man that God had for me, he was without question “the one”. But did I realize that someday I would watch him turn white while he hugged me in a doctor’s office when we found out we’d had a miscarriage or that he’d be right next to me (and see things I don’t even want to think about) as our daughter was born? Did I realize the extent of his integrity and character? Did I know that he would still make me laugh and that I’d still be glad to see him walk through the door nine years later? Did I know that he would be the best daddy a little girl could ask for?

    I didn’t know any of that to the extent that I know it now. I thank God for the blessing that is my husband. Of all the things that are good in my life, he is the best. And as “iron sharpens iron”, he makes me want to be better.

    Happy Anniversary P.