Monday

I haven't written in a while and it disappoints me. I've just been busy, but haven't had much to write about. Today I wanted to share a picture that I took on Saturday that I just LOVE...and believe it or not, I took it with my cell phone. I had no idea my cell phone could take such good pictures.


That is Carter standing on the dock of the pond at Mom's house. I love how the sunlight was on his face. I also love that it captured the essence of Carter. He is such a happy child, so full of life. He's FUNNY and kind and polite. He loves to laugh and make up songs. He has a vivid imagination and is a very profound thinker. He has found his place as an excellent student and reader. He is CARTER and we love him.


Chad is serious and intense. He is polite and mild mannered. He is wise beyond his years and smart as a whip. He knows what he wants and he goes about getting it with focus and determination. He is a thinker, weighing the pros and cons of every decision he makes, often 'helping' me with mine as well. LOL He is kind and well spoken. He is CHAD and we love him.

Cool Web Site

I discovered a pretty neat web site yesterday and I thought I would share it with all of you. Frugal mom, I followed this from your blog, so THANK YOU. http://shoppingfrugally.blogspot.com/search/label/organization
I was going to call and talk to you about it yesterday, but it was exactly noon and I didn't want to interrupt lunch again. I figured out that I call people at lunchtime because that's when I'm driving...TO LUNCH! LOL

Anyway, the cool web site. www.cozi.com This is a web site where you can have your family calendar all in one place. Your spouse can access it from wherever they are and input appointments or just view them. You can send reminders to yourself or your spouse via text msg or email. And, here's the best part...if you're out and about you can call a phone number and retrieve your day's appointments OR your grocery list. Oh, I forgot to mention you can establish a grocery, wholesale, or other list on the site...and have it sent to your phone or call to retrieve it while you're out. Awesome! It also has a really neat screensaver that compiles 4-6 different pictures into a collage page, then goes to the next, and the next. I really like it, even though I only downloaded it to see what it was, with no real hopes that I'd like it. I mean, I already had my pictures scrolling though a screensaver. This one is different though. It shows 4-6 pictures at a time...plus the time in big numbers. I like it. OH, and another cool feature about this calendar is that you can color code everyone. I am dark pink. Charles is blue, and so forth. You can also sync it with Outlook if you or your spouse use that calendar. I am really enjoying it and probably haven't even found all the cool features yet. But I wanted to post a blog about it because I know there are some of you that would like it also.

It's all about me

I just watched the dumbest play I have ever seen in football. The game is the Cowboys vs. the Eagles. Score is 21 - 20, Dallas is up. The Eagles quarterback threw a fantastic pass (about 50 yards or more). DeSean Jackson beat his defender and caught this awesome pass and runs into the end zone for a touchdown. But, because he is cocky, he tossed the ball behind him in celebration BEFORE IT BROKE THE PLANE OF THE END ZONE! It didn't count. When they showed the slow motion, not only had the ball not broken the plane, but neither of his feet had crossed the line before he tossed the ball and did his little end zone dance.

Now, why would a player do such a thing? Because he has NO self discipline and it's all about him. So many athletes these days have no real respect for the game. They're only there to be flashy and get accolades. He was showing off and it cost his team a touchdown. Unacceptable. He should be fired. Now, the Eagles (his team) scored on the very next play, but that shouldn't negate what he did. It was wrong and stupid and I hope his coach lets him know that in no uncertain terms.

Gas Prices

Have gas prices done anything crazy today where you are? Yesterday a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.54 here. Last night we heard that by Saturday it could be $5.00 per gallon. The craze at the pumps started last night with people lining up for gas (I was already full, thankfully). The news had a crew out there reporting of course. This morning it was $3.99 per gallon. When I came into town at 3:30 it was up to $4.59! When I was leaving town I saw ONE station that was still at $3.99, while all the other stations were at $4.49, at 2:00. When I came back by at 3:00 it was at $4.39 there - 40 cents in ONE hour! It's insane. They're saying it's because of the hurricane and the refineries closing, etc. But I don't understand how it's going up so drastically when I'm sure the gas that we're buying right now is still the gas that the gas stations paid $3.00 a gallon for or whatever. Anyway, I talked to Kristine in AZ and she said nothing like that is happening there, so I'm curious as to what's going on in the rest of the country. $1.05 increase in less than 24 hours is just crazy! And it's probably even higher now. Oh, and the gas stations on Fort Gordon were closed, presumably because they had run out of gas, which they were still selling for $3.59 early this morning.

We Will Never Forget

I didn't know a single person that lost their life on September 11, 2001, but I still cry when I hear the newscaster say "We will never forget." There are so many emotions connected to that day. It really was the day America changed. We were stationed at Fort Stewart, GA at the time and I was watching the Today Show, waiting for Regis and Kelly to come on, when the first plane hit. Matt Lauer was reporting and video was on the buildings when the 2nd plane hit. It was confirmed. This was not an accident - it was an attack. I just remember being stunned, making and receiving phone calls to friends and family, and being glued to the news for weeks. We lived right outside the gate to Fort Stewart and I watched as traffic backed up for miles waiting to go through security to get on post. Charles started riding his bicycle to work. I went to candlelight vigils. I was proud of the pride our country was showing. I cried for all that was lost. Not only were lives lost, but our innocence was lost as well. I remember that once the airlines started flying again, for a while my heart would stop whenever I saw a plane. Is that one going to crash? Fear was a new emotion that the terrorists so hatefully placed in our laps. I can not even imagine what it must have felt like to live in NYC at that time. I don't want to imagine it. How about the family members that got a phone call from those on flight 93? What heartache, to know that this is most likely the last time you'll speak to your loved one. What do you say when you KNOW and there's nothing you can do about it? What courage they had to storm that cockpit. We'll never know how many lives they actually saved that day. That's the definition of a hero. How about the rescue workers that went UP the towers while others were coming down? What bravery. It's awe inspiring really. There were so many heroes that day. There are so many heroes today as well. Our Armed Forces are fighting every day to end terrorism. We owe them our gratitude. We owe them our lives. The first step to showing that gratitude is to Never Forget. Remember.

Best Invention EVER

Okay, I will be the firs to admit that I am not much of a cook. It's not so much that I *can't*, but just that I *don't*. A friend of mine suggested I do more crock pot cooking, which I am all for except for one little problem. When I crockpot cook I tend to just put the crockpot container in the fridge with the leftovers and then I take forever to get around to emptying it out and washing the crock pot for future crock pot meals. Basically, I hate CLEANING my crock pot. Her solution: slow cooker liners. I bought some. They sat in my cabinet for a month. Well, today I made a crock pot dinner (beef stroganoff, if you MUST know)and used the liner for the first time. WOW! It was awesome! Nothing stuck to my crock pot. I spooned out the leftovers and put them in a plastic container and then just lifted the liner out. Voila. Crockpot cleaned. Okay, I did wash the lid. But now my crockpot is stowed away in its little crockpot spot in my cabinet...the SAME night the meal was initially cooked. That has NEVER happened in my house. LOL So, I recommend you go out RIGHT THIS SECOND and buy some slow cooker liners. They're awesome. Thank you, Allison, for helping me out. :)

"My online friends"

As many of you know, I am a member of an online group called Early Millenium Babies. We were all pregnant together and due in March of 2000. It's amazing, but we have stayed together all this time. I don't know what I would have done without this group, as they were my outlet during the tough times and my ear to brag to during the awesome times. We always had a safe place to come when we had questions, concerns, or proud moments to share about our children. We have become a pretty tight group and I am so proud to be a member. In 2002 I wrote a poem to this effect. I had completely forgotten I had written this poem, but found it as I was cleaning out my computer desk in the den. I wanted to share it here.

EMB

Early Millenium Babies, that's what we're called,
but what does it really mean?
We were the Late March Mommies,
but babies don't keep to a schedule it seems.
Our babies were born, but we had more to say.
Our group would not stop here.
No, we typed and we talked, and some even met,
as we trudged through that tough first year.
Great friendships were made. We laughed and we cried.
We leaned on each other. We made it through.
There were more gatherings, more wonderful bonds,
and now - WOW - our babies are two!
As they come upon the age of three,
our group is still steadfast.
We share our secrets, our greatest joys,
our present and our past.
We have come together in time of need.
We have stood strong through calm and strife.
Our babies may have brought us together,
but it's our love that will take us through life.
~Kathy Nay, winter 2002

Those 'babies' are now 8 and I still love this group. Sure, we've lost some members and we're all busier now than ever, but many of us still find the time to 'talk' to those reading out in cyber space. There have been more secrets shared than we can count. It feels good to know that you always have someone you can tell anything to and who are they going to tell? LOL It's been very cathartic for me and I truly owe them for my sanity, what little I have left. So, thank you, EMB! I love you!

Get Your Popcorn!

The boys have been begging to sell popcorn and lemonade outside of Aunt Angel's store for months. My dad had bought a popcorn machine a few years ago and I think Shelbie sold some up there once or twice. Anyway, I finally gave in and told them we'd do it. They named their business "Rock 'n' Pop" - Carter planned to have his radio and/or guitar - and made their sign themselves. We went to Sam's to buy supplies, as I provided them with a small business loan to get them started. We determined that they would pay me 25% of their profits each time they worked until the loan was paid in full. The first night, Friday night, they were set up from 8:00 - 10:00 PM and made $17.75! I was impressed! And, boy were they excited! Saturday we set up from noon - 2:00 and made $8.25. Apparently night time is better. I didn't really intend for it to be such a learning experience. I just thought they'd have fun making a little money. But, it all evolved and by the end of the night Friday Chad was figuring 25% of their profits each time they made a new sale. They did a great job and, of course, I was glad I finally gave in and let them do it. Now I just have to let them do it more often so they can pay off their loan. :) OH, and they both had to spend their money yesterday as soon as Charles got home (their profits plus their allowance). Chad had been wanting a new Pokemon game, so he bought that at Gamestop and Carter found a bug net gun on sale, so they did pretty good.


Their sign


The boys and their popcorn


Their first dollar made

Click Click Click

Our Mini Vacation

I just wanted to come on and post pics of our trip to Charlotte over the weekend. We had a GREAT time, especially at Dave & Buster's. I wish they'd build one in Augusta. We got to watch the UGA game, after talking with 2 different managers because they had the same game on 2 different TV's, but not the game they told us would be on one particular TV (UGA vs. GSU). Anyway, we watched most of it while eating and watching the kids play the various games. They loved the claw games and really got some good swag out of them. Chad got a necklace and 2 bracelets out of one and Carter got 3 stuffed sports bears out of another.
Then Carter played a game that gave out tickets and racked up quite a few. Here he is with all of his loot.
I love the way their ticket store is set up, too. It's so much better than CEC (Chuck E Cheese). They put your ticket amount on your card and you're able to roam around and 'shop' until you've picked out what you want. Put it on the counter and debit it off of your playing card. Awesome. After that fun we went to the room, got checked in, small nap, then swam for a few minutes.

Chad laying down with me


The many faces of Chad...only one face for Daddy.


Then we went back out to the Nascar Speed Park where they rode Go Karts, climbed the rock wall and played mini golf. They had a great time!


We had a late dinner at a Mexican restaurant before retiring to the hotel with a few minutes left to do some more swimming. We got up the next day and went to Bass Pro Shops since we didn't have time on Saturday.

Then we headed to Carowinds. They rode a couple roller coasters, but spent most of their time in the water park. We were only there for one overnight, but everyone had a blast and it seemed a lot longer. We packed a lot into just one weekend. Our next destination...D.C in October for the Army 10 Miler.

Don't forget to peruse my site and see what links might interest you.

Spiders

Our den tends to become a staging area sometimes. It can be a nice room, but is an enclosed carport, so it seems a little off from the main house and doesn't get used much. Back in May we decided to turn it into a game room because Sears had several game tables on sale. We bought an air hockey table, already had a foosball table, bought a skee ball table and planned to put Chad's arcade basketball game in there. Before we could make this happen we had to move out 2 computer desks and rearrange some stuff. Well, of course that never happened. We stored the games in there (in their boxes), along with some other boxes that just needed someplace to hang out. Charles also moved home from NC around that time, so his stuff got put in there also. I tell you all that to tell you this...we have spiders. Not just any spiders, but black widow spiders...a lot of them. One must have gotten in there and laid eggs because we have a ton of juveniles. We put off a fogger in there yesterday with hopes of being able to get in there to organize and create our game room. Today Charles started on it and found 6 black widows. Two of them were still trying to hang on to life, while the other 4 were dead. So, no organizing today. We set off another fogger and did one in the living room also, just to be safe. It's really creepy. When I think about it I guess we sometimes use the den as some would use a garage, so it's plausible that the spiders would see it this way also, but ICK!! I hope once we get all the boxes and stuff out they stay out for good! I know having stuff stored in there has given them plenty of places to hide, and it doesn't help that the huge wall size bay window that was installed 15-20 years ago has some issues. There are spots where you can see outside through the bottom of the window, and I don't mean through the glass. LOL We spayed that spray foam caulk stuff in there a few years ago, but that has separated also. So there's plenty of opportunity for the little buggers to get in. But they are NOT welcome here.

Teasing

It's 3:00 AM and I'm awake. Why, you ask? Well, because I love my son. I found out today that Chad is being teased at school. It totally and absolutely breaks my heart. First, just the fact that he told me tells me that it's a big deal. He does NOT show vulnerability...ever. I spoke with his teacher, the teaser's teacher, AND the counselor about this a little over a week ago. I casually asked Chad today how things were going and apparently this kid is still torturing him. Now, I am not here saying that Chad is an angel and could never do the same to someone else. I am well aware of Chad's capabilities, but I have never heard of him teasing another child (aside from Carter) and if I ever did I would certainly do everything within my power to put a stop to it. Which is why I have formally requested a meeting with the school counselor and this child's mother. Now, I realize that teasing happens. Nobody is immune to it. However, Chad isn't just anyone. He's MY child. LOL And if I can go through the channels to make sure everyone that needs to know about it DOES know about it, then I will. This kid is doing some very specific things that need to be addressed. As far as I'm concerned, Chad has shown great restraint by not decking him in the nose. At this point, I don't think I'd punish him if he did. ;) Not that I'm condoning violence, but the only way to stop a bully is to put him in his place. Anyway, I digress...

The counselor has been extremely understanding, so I feel confident that she will set this meeting up for me, hopefully on Tuesday. I also copied the email to the 2 teachers involved, the principal, and the vice principal. I want a paper trail and documentation that steps have been taken to put an end to it. Chad had problems with this child last year, so I expect it will not end here. *sigh* Why do kids have to be so cruel to one another? As a mother my number 1 job is to protect my children. This is an area where I can't protect him. Sure, I can call meetings. I can advocate for him all I want. But hasn't the damage already been done? This will not be the last time he will be teased. I'm sure of that. But each time it happens, how much of his sense of self does it whittle away? Can he just blow it off, or does it hurt him at his core? Hard to say really. All I can do is do everything in my power to make it stop. It's my job. My only job really...protecting my children. I know some of you may see this as a drastic step, but I do not see myself as an overprotective Mom. Honestly, I kind of pride myself as not being overly protective and giving them plenty of freedom to experience life, a long leash if you will, which sometimes exposes them to slight dangers that I think they can handle. But this is different. Chad has done everything by the book here. It is now time for the adults to step in and take over the situation. And, trust me, I will be relentless.