The Reger Rugrats

Reindeer loose in the office: Surprised Elf reins them in....

2011-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Twas two weeks before Christmas and all through the office, everyone was busy. No one was stirring. The lectures were being presented and such that no one was thinking of Christmas much. Housekeeping was working and Tammy D. settled in at her desk, prepared for a long day at work. No fun to be had. When out in the main office there arose such a clatter. Tammy D. walked out to find exactly what was the matter. When what to her surprised eyes in the office...3 of Santa's reindeer. She jumped all around snapping pictures for proof with her iPhone in good cheer, she knew in moment it must be Susan, Joy, and Sue. She was so excited she didn't know what to do! She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work. She reined them all in with promises of emailed copies of pictures and turned with jerk. She hated for them to leave, but she feared dismissal. So off to their stables the reindeer were sent with prancing and pawing of each little hoof. Away they all went like the down of a thistle, and she exclaimed as they ran out of sight, "Get to work! Don't tag me here. Now get out of sight!"

33Miles From Jesus

2011-09-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Laura was so cute the other day. I was looking on the Louisiana Tech University website, my alma mater, to see what new stuff was happening (and to promote "college" to my kids). The girls were all sitting on me and around me as we talked about "college". The website has a feature page called "Tech Triumphs" with alumni that have become successful in their careers (why they haven't called me for a feature yet, I don't know, possibly because I am blogging at work....hehe). One famous Tech graduate is Jason Barton from the Christian band 33Miles that my kids and I love. When the girls saw him they asked why his title line said "33Miles from Jesus". I explained to the girls that the name 33Miles was the name of the band not actual proximity to Christ. Laura piped in with, "No, Momma, Jesus is not far away. I can feel him when I play real hard. Watch me, Momma." She ran around the house and came back with a fast beating heart that you could feel through her chest as she stood grinning. "Touch here and feel Jesus in my heart, Momma. He's not far away. I feel him. He can't get out, can he, Momma." I felt her beating heart. As the big girls and I laughed I realized why God tells us to have Faith like a child. He's in there and He can't get out! As I pray that God doesn't feel "trapped" inside of me, I thank him for never leaving me or my babies. Thank God for the little moments like that with my children in which he speaks knowingly to all of us. That little rugrat...hehe...

5 point dinners/ lunches/ snacks...

2011-09-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

I found a great website today of 5 point menus for my weight watchers diet. http://www.laaloosh.com/ct/health-and-food/food-recipes/my-weight-watchers-recipes/5-points/
I do think the government should issue internet warnings though, because the site did not make me excited that I could eat and lose weight as much as it just made me even more HUNGRY which, ironically, was not the intention of browsing low point menu options. I've found I do not particulary like being metaphorically described as a whale, but I am NOT GOOD at starving either.... They should also issue warnings that it doesn't help to browse for 5 point dinners if you plan to COMBINE the dinner selections...hehe Maybe I am the rugrat in the family... more like the sloth, but still in the family...

Big Girl Panties

2011-06-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how as you gain weight you put off and put off buying bigger clothes, but you go pretty quickly to buy bigger panties. I guess inside I am thinking that if I am in more comfortable panties, the clothes will ultimately respond likewise. For some reason this philosophy is not working for me right now. Must be the estrogen (because it most certainly can't be the cheesecake addiction...)

Cornbread Messes...

2011-06-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am crying over cornbread. Seriously. I am sitting on the dining room floor, with a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other, crying. Tears are streaming down my face. I am sobbing faster than I can breathe. I am looking around the room thinking, "I can't do this anymore. I can't stand it. It's not fair. All I do is work and clean. Everything is for the kids. EVERYTHING. And this is what I get." As I weep, my tears disappear into the sea of cornbread scattered around the room. "Cornbread. Why did I make cornbread? Am I crazy? Oh my God, I'm CRAZY now, too!!! I am losing it! What is the matter with me?" (You are laughing, I know, cause you've been there. Maybe it was toothpaste or Kool-aid or pop tart, but you've been there- the breaking point, where you cry so you don't kill anybody.) I start to get up realizing that wet cornbread is harder to clean up than dry cornbread, so I am in fact making life harder by crying over the mess- meant in literal and otherwise terms there! Cornbread is everywhere. Three pieces of cornbread. Three little girls. "My dining room looks as if SPD just dusted for fingerprints on a quadruple homicide." I giggled as I thought that thought because it was preceded by, "I could kill them. I could just kill them." (Not meant in the literal sense here!) Not only was cornbread covering the table, but every chair, corner, and crevice lay covered in cornbread as well. So I swept and swept before I realized, "Duh, you should have wiped the table off first, genius! Oh my gosh, I'm a moron now, too! These kids are making me stupid!" More sobbing here. I know what you are thinking. Where are the kids? Why aren't they helping clean up the mess they made playing with the cornbread? But I am way too much of a control freak to let them try to clean up cornbread mess (seriously, have you cleaned up cornbread before? moist, yet crumbly...) And of course the whole "I could kill them" thing. They are old enough to clean up. My 9 year old could have decently removed a large chunk of the mess with a broom. My 6 year old could have wiped the table off well enough to knock it all off on the floor. But it still would have left a lot of cornbread, and I was having my whole little meltdown anyway. So it was safer for them to be banished for my little clean up tirade anyway! Stop laughing at me and my mess of a life. This little charade was the icing on the cake of my day, I can promise you. But I am coming to figure out that life is messy. I know. I know. Common cliche used to define many a good tale, and maybe your mess is as mine is more literal than rhetorical, but still messy just the same. I used to think that messy was miserable. Messy meant that I wasn't living up to any expectation, much less the mountain-sized expectation I set for myself. But lately I am realizing that messy IS life. Without mess, life is boring and predictable (which granted, I could use a little bit more of). Life without mess is life without a story to tell... and where would anyone be without a good book?! Where would I be on a warm summer afternoon curled up on my bed if no one else had a messy life that they were willing to turn into a good story? Bored? Possibly. Much cleaner house? Definitely. Happy? Never. I knew I needed to share my mess when I realized that my mess really is the story of my life. And my mess is hilarious! Those rugrats...I swear!

Princess Laura...

2011-02-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

If only I could tell you that Laura has been betrothed to a handsome young prince... or at least won a beauty pageant, but alas that is NOT how she earned her title today! I came in and went straight to the computer as I had some bills to enter into "bill pay" on my account. It didn't take long, but as I turned to get up I noticed Laura down on her knees in the dining room licking shredded cheese off the floor. I shrieked in horror, which caused her to pause in turn and to look up at me with cheese still stuck on her face. I told her to get up, quick, and go wash her face and hands! Oh, the germs! I was saying, "Oh my Goodness, Laura, you will get the flu again or worse from licking the floor." As she gets up and walks off with that sullen, pitiful, about to cry look, I notice as she walks that there is a trail of cheese from where she was on the floor into her bedroom, bathroom, sister's room, and kitchen! I hollered at her, "Laura, what in the world were you thinking, baby! Why is there cheese ALL OVER MY HOUSE??!!!" To which she so quietly, with her voice choking replied, "I wanted to eat like Princess!" Princess, of course, being her new puppy. OH LORD!! I sat her down and talked to her about germs and the terrible mess it made, not to mention the expense of shredded cheese. Then I looked at her and asked, "Does Princess eat her food in a trail?" Then she said, "Well, Nonnie lets her puppies eat all the food under the table." How do you argue with that? So I spent the next ten minutes sweeping up an entire bag of shredded cheese off my floors. I suppose you could look at it like I killed two birds. (I always need to sweep!) It's just too bad that I panicked and didn't let her continue to eat long enough to take some pictures! Gross, I know. And don't worry, I got to mop less than 30 minutes later when I dropped the kool-aid pitcher in the middle of the kitchen. And that one was all my fault, folks! No blaming the rugrats that time! So a good sweepin' and moppin' later...Those rugrats, I swear!

New Chore Charts...

2011-02-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

A long while back we did the whole chore chart thing. Well, to say the least, it was time to reimplement. So I called the girls over to the computer and let them pick out pictures for their own chore chart. I also printed off a list of "recommended" chores for their ages. Then I called a family meeting! We all sat down and discussed how mommy was going crazy and how we all needed to pitch in to help her around the house! (Ok, we really just talked about how we could all help each other! But we all know the truth! hah!) We started with Laura's age group by reading the chores that were recommended and asking her if she thought any of those things were things she would like to help the family out with! She picked out a few, and I picked out a few to round out her list. Then we repeated the process with each of the others! Then we discussed what they thought were fair rewards. They said they didn't know with homework if they could do some things every night, so we agreed that if they completed all of their chores for 5 out of the 7 days they would receive a small treat- like an Icee or a mini blizzard. We will keep chore charts that they receive a treat for and when they have 4 charts (4 weeks worth) they will receive a fun time out with someone on the farm. Maggie said she wants Sho Sho to take her out to eat and Ann Cherie wants Dada to take her shooting. Laura just said "Yay" so I'm not sure what her date will be! lol So far- SUCCESS! I have not gone to bed in tears in almost a week now and my house no longer looks as if it has the flu (well, don't check the corners!) So I say, even if this week was magical and never repeats, it was totally worth it! Those little rugrats reformed....so far!

New jeans...

2011-02-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

So I am taking off my jeans and Ann Cherie says, "Momma, you need to go back to the Buckle and get you some more jeans." so I said, "why?" and she says, "Because you are about to grow out of yours!" She really wasn't being ugly! That was the funniest part! She just knows that's what I say to her when hers are getting "too tight!" Time to go back on the diet!

Buggy Mayhem...

2011-02-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

You just have to love the little miniature buggies at Tom's Market! They make LOTS of noise, and there are just enough (3) of them for each of my children to get to push one! Laura and her buggy would qualify for Nascar! Enough said. Ann Cherie looks out of place without her calculator the way she is questioning and checking prices of different foods and reasoning aloud as to why she NEEDS to buy some pizzas to feed her "Dada" on the snow day as she places them in her buggy after pausing patiently for me to respond positively to said reasoning. Maggie on the other hand is a quiet, yet calculative sneak. She is placing items of her interest in each of the buggies equally so as not to overfill her own and give away her quest to buy everything with sugar/ sodium available to purchase in the store. Anyway, my stop for milk became a $50 snow day restock! I am now suffering from the whole "my house on the flu" visions... Those rugrats, I swear!

Cactus love...

2011-01-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

I love it when my cactus blooms! They are gorgeous flowers! It reminds me of the prickly parts of life and how they suddenly will bloom just like the cactus! I count my blessings when I see the beauty these typically ugly plants produce!

My house has the flu...

2011-01-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

Yeah, we sorta bathed the living contents of the room each day and then put them back in to keep them sane during the week in the house! I don't know which was worse, the kids feeling terrible with the flu or the girls' room looking terrible while they had the flu. Anyway! Nothing a lot of laundry detergent, a good sweeping and mopping, and lots of clorox spray couldn't restore! Those rugrats, I swear!

College Woes....

2011-01-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

Ann Cherie calmly looked over at me today after helping me do some things and said, "Mom, how are you ever going to remember things after I go off to college?" Oh, Lordy! I laughed so hard and then got to thinking that was only 10 years away. So I suppose I can count on her for that long and then I will use the excuse of her leaving for college to check myself into the nearest nursing home, where others can remember everything for me, including how to do my laundry and clean up after my children. Too bad Ann Cherie can't remember how to do that on her own!

For my bestie...

2011-01-27T20:50:00.001-08:00

This video is an awesome inside joke! I know it's not about the rugrats, so sorry to disappoint! But, to those that get it, CHEERS! To others, it's a funny song on the movie! Enjoy! To John Oszajca, you are totally "on the list"! You rock!

The Funnies...

2011-01-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

As I drove off today, Laura (home with the flu) looked at Frankie and said, "I really like her. She's funny!" I have not quit laughing about that one.
As Maggie and I are driving to the bus this morning with her incessant talking and my singing to the radio to drown her out, she says, "Mom, you are SO not listening to me, are you?!" To which I did not reply! Lol
As I talked to Melody today, Liam says, "Mom, You crack me up!" That's so funny, because as those who know and love me know that is MY line!

Special menu for children with the flu....

2011-01-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

As my children are sick, I have had a few days off. I had visions of reading while curled up with my little, quiet, sickly children getting up only to medicate and feed at appropriate time intervals, oh, and watching the occasional movie. Ahhh, the lazy dreams of mothers of sick babies.... DREAMS being the operative word seeing as none of the above has come to fruition. My home could rightly be declared a National Disaster zone and the food is not nutritionally capable of sustaining life, but does rightfully sustain the whine that emits from fussy children. Play-dough is now ground into my kitchen floor. Cheddar cheese and pizza sauce from extra cheese pizza Lunchables are ground into the dining room floor. Chips and another yet unknown and quite sticky substance (possibly is a fruit chiller popsicle- melting of course, but yet unfound) is ground into the cup holders of the couch in the living room. Maggie and Laura's floor is littered with corn dog peelings (They prefer the weenie to the bun!) and Cherry-Oh game pieces (which as you probably know are tiny and enter your feet similarly to tacks when stepped upon-yes, from experience...). My bedroom floor hosts a trail of oreo cakester crumbs, which feel eerily like moon sand, and quite possibly could contain a mixture. Ann Cherie's room is the only room oddly unscathed, but I must admit a few punching noises and minor screaming matches with words like, "Mom, she's in my room AGAIN. I just want to knock her out." with replies from me of, "She's three and sick. I'm coming!" did their best to aid in this cleanliness factor. So literally, you cannot walk through my home without slipping or dodging or saying, "Ugh, gross. What is on the floor this time, girls?" I dare not walk around without my dearfoams! I have subsequently spent all day with the broom and a wet rag in hand. In with cleaning floors, cleaning tables, cleaning babies.... out with the movie watching, reading, and cuddling with kids. I know what you were thinking... What is she feeding these sick babies? Corn dogs, Lunchables, popsicles, oreo cakesters, mac-n-cheese....? What a terrible mother!! Well, I might have had more time to actually cook if I wasn't spending so much time cleaning up what I managed to put on the table, or what I at least began by putting on the table. So much for mother of the year! But I have found that these cabinet staples have aided in the fussy, whiny department! So who's the smart one now? Right? OK, I know. Not me. Already went there...I know... Those rugrats, I swear!

Flu Blues

2011-01-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

Oh, the joys of wiping up poopy bottoms, feeding little ones special food and lots of bottles, and rocking babies to sleep! How I wish I was talking about little babies and not flu ridden kids! Laura and Ann Cherie both tested positive for the flu today. Ann Cherie came over whining last night about how bad she felt and how she really needed to stay home from school today, etc. I laughed and told her to get over those Monday morning blues because she was going to school the next morning! Then I started to hug her and give her the attention I knew she must need. OMG, she was BURNING UP! I said, "Oh my, Ann Cherie, I think you have fever!" So we checked it. 102. Lord, mother of the year here! I was giving her some bubble gum flavored Tylenol when Laura came around the corner and seeing pink said, "my toat hurwhats too!" Thinking she just wanted some "pink drink", I told her, "You aren't sick, silly. This is medicine!" And I leaned over to kiss her instead. Her cheek was ON FIRE! She was running fever, too! OMG! So I dosed them both and called a sub for my class! I took them both to the doctor this morning to be given the fateful news! When we got home, Laura was standing in front of the cabinet when she suddenly said, "Momma, I was looking for the pot." I look down and there is poo on the floor behind her. Ann Cherie starts to walk through the door and steps right in it and drags it about three feet while I'm hollering, "Stop!! Stop!!" She looks down and starts gagging. Nice. So I strip them both down and, well, nothing a bath, a roll of paper towels, and a bottle of Clorox Clean-up can't handle! We've been pooping, drinking "bottles" of juice, eating bread, and rocking ever since. As for the little babies thing, I was reminded today about how sweet some of that time was, but how I am SOOO glad they have grown out of everything but the rocking stage!

Miss Mississippi...

2011-01-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

We began our Sunday morning with the usual ruckus to get to church and actually made it there ON TIME without killing anybody or at least threatening any more than the usual! I was elated! We sat in our usual pew on the top row in the balcony as to not disturb the ENTIRE church with my children's racket! Everything was going along so well! We even agreed as the girls begged after church to go to the Chinese food restaurant to eat out with the rest of the population of Vivian... Yep! I know! That should have been the first clue! But as my ADD brain is not mandatory to function on Sundays, it was turned off and off to lunch we proceed! When we arrived, as I said the entire town had made the same decision, there was only one table left and we grabbed it up! Yes! I can relax now! Wrong! We ordered drinks and proceeded to the buffet. As we were preparing our meal, a little, sweet, "older" pentecostal couple was seated at the end of our table. (The table sat 8 and seeing as we were only 5 the Chinese felt it was OK for us to share a table as that is probably their cramped little culture over there, but not when children are involved here.) So needless to say, the girls were on their MOST GRACIOUS behavior for this couple now forcibly sharing Sunday lunch with us. Maggie said the blessing- which thankfully was appropriate and of a decent time interval for once! She thanked the Lord for her whole family by simply stating "whole family"! As that would be the end of world peace during the lunch hour, take a breath before proceeding with reading! First fight began over the transition from cups with no tops to cups with tops as per parental request to the serving staff. Lord, start the alarms, tsunami coming in! Laura WAS NOT drinking out of a "baby cup". "I NOT A BABY!" she screamed at her best. "Well, then go thirsty, because we must use tops to keep everyone and everything as clean as possible!" I calmly replied. Well, the DEVIL himself created rice and that awful sweet red STICKY sauce. As I had placed myself (wisely) between the couple and Laura, my outfit, which, as we all do- I was hoping to wear to school tomorrow as it was pressed and I only planned to wear it for a short time, was now COVERED in red sticky sauce and rice as she flicked the rice and then tried repeatedly to climb in my lap as we tried to eat. When I wouldn't let her climb on me- to maintain distance between said couple and Laura- she went crazy and threw her head in my lap, which of course was now covered in the same red sauce and chicken grease as her mouth was and inconspicuously now looked as if I had started my period without protection. Lovely! So grabbing her, I notice Ann Cherie has been allowed to go to the buffet line ON HER OWN! She returns with 8 cookies and 6 donuts! Then proceeds to argue with Maggie that they are HERS! Really, 8 cookies and 6 donuts and you CAN'T SHARE! Heaven forbid! Frankie calms the storm and I look back to Laura. She is pushing her chicken piece with that same devil sauce around the edges of her plate and the plates around her so that no matter where you try to pick up the plate it is now dripping with sticky goo! Awesome! Nevertheless, I pick up the plate and take it way from her. Yep, you guessed it! She started kicking and screaming and whining... Nice! By now, the little "older" couple was rushing through their plate and talking of how seconds were overrated and how they felt they would just skip dessert and hurry home today! Wonderful! About that time Maggie returns with her own cookies and proceeds to, not eat them like normal people, NO, that would have made sense, she starts breaking them into a million pieces on her plate causing crumbs to go everywhere. She starts to eat her little donut things with the sugar on them but first licks all the sugar off the outside and puts the donuts over onto another plate as she picks up the donut plate, and, I kid you not, LICKS the plate. Frankie looks at her and says, "Hey, Miss Mississippi, put down that plate!" I am by this time laughing so as not to cry and telling Frankie how my 17 year old sister licked her plate last weekend and that must be where she learned it from because I was a Sub Deb and a cotillion! Totally thankful for that bladder lift as hard as I was laughing which caused half the restaurant to laugh as well! Well, we got on out of there after that! There is just no salvaging plate licking! Luckily it is a small town, so I won't even have to tell everyone at school tomorrow to read this blog as they will have already heard about the Reger's eating at the Chinese food place at the local church tonight! For all of the rest of you, I hope and pray that the devil was not involved in your own family Sunday dinners! I mostly just pray for my rugrats! Those rugrats, I swear!

My new VOKI!

2011-01-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of my new voki! Although, I look familiarly alien, I loved setting it up! I can't wait to create one for my teacher web site! Go to voki.com to create one for your blog or website! Just "You Tube" instructions on how to add it to your site! I love Lisa's added to W.T. Lewis Elementary's website! Thanks for the idea, Lisa!

Not so hot stuff...

2011-01-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

I figured after the last post, I could tell you about other things that get hot, or should I say not so hot in my home! My girls were making corn dogs earlier and the microwave quit on them. Frankie has been "getting a part for it" now for about a month or so. It will only heat for 3 mins consecutively or otherwise before shutting down- therefore lots of food ends up not so hot. Now, I don't know about average microwave usage in 21 century homes or anything, but I know that my family uses WAY ABOVE average usage time and without that one appliance, life has seemingly caved in! Anyway, I hear my girls trying to make corn dogs in front of the microwave saying, "Next year we are so asking Santa for a new microwave." Seriously, that made me laugh so hard until I realized how sad it sounded! Needless to say, it was the extra push Frankie needed to say, "Time to pick up a microwave when we go out tonight!" "But what about fixing it?" I asked with a sarcastic grin. "Yeah, well, no. We are just going to go buy another one today." Which in husband speak means "I couldn't find the part or figure out how to fix it, so I'm using the girls as an excuse!" Well, no matter how it worked out, I will finally be back in business! Corn dogs and chicken nuggets- will be some hot stuff cookin' this evening! Those rugrats, I swear!

Hot Stuff...

2011-01-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Yeah, had to look after seeing that title, huh! Of course, I'm talking about me! I haven't felt good all day and running fever tonight. So I'm hot now! It's confirmed! lol If only my jeans and my age would conform to the knowledge!

Magic Marker Fairy Alert

2011-01-19T20:12:00.001-08:00

High Alert! High Alert! There is a magic marker fairy stopping by houses and writing on bed sheets in the middle of the night. Said fairy is also known to leave marks on the hands of bed sheet owner victims. When questioned, my children adamently denied knowledge of her visit. Beware! Confiscate all markers and lock them in safes to maintain the security of your rugrats and bed sheets immediately! (Really not so funny at 6a.m.....)

As if...

2011-01-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate Mondays? Well, today was a Tuesday- Monday! We had the long holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and didn't have to return until Tuesday! Golly, it sure felt like a Monday, though! Enough with naming the days! My children woke up with the usual aches and and pains and coughs and excuses as to why they needed to stay home from school just ONE MORE DAY! As if I didn't want to stay home myself... When they realized that I was not giving in, I suppose they felt it my due recourse for them to argue, cry, hit, scream, etc. all the way to school! Lovely, I said as I caught a flying foot letting the girls out at the bus stop. "But she DESERVES it, Mom!" as if that is going to make me release said foot to bash sister....as if I like bloody noses to add to the fuss. Whine is just not enough...well, that kind of wine might would have been but seeing as it is really frowned upon at school... Anyway, I go to get Laura out of the van and as if the bigger kids' fits weren't enough, she starts crying- like the high pitched, red-faced, super-loud, call CPS on my mother immediately cry! "What?" I cried, and she simply continued to look at me and scream as if I should just KNOW how I was devastating her... Anyway, turns out she wanted her boots, but we had her tennie's, and she simply would not stand for having her hair brushed either, as in "the hair brush was going to turn her hair deep purple with red stripes and make it all fall out by the end of the day" kind of not wanting her hair brushed. Then- God Forbid- I had to take her into the daycare! Oh my word! She went insane! I left her sobbing in the sweet lady's arms after she peeled her off of me, waving bye as I walked out the door, and sat in my van just for a moment upon entry to catch my breath! Off to school, which was just as interesting, yet unfortunately confidential, as if those mommas don't know what their kids are doing at school anyway... Although, I know mine are perfect angels! For real, what could they possibly have left in them to rouse at the teacher! Those rugrats, I swear!

Choosing to SEE

2010-10-24T10:13:00.001-07:00

If you are set to read one of my usual funny, crazy life blogs, you will be disappointed. Three weeks ago my friend lost her beautiful baby boy, and my daughter lost her daycare buddy. It has been such a surreal and horrible tragedy. There are no words for my daughter or my friend. Just last week the daycare placed a memorial picture collage on the wall and my daughter being just 2 herself said, "See mom, there is Strat Strat. He's not dead." I just kissed her and sent her on in while I took myself on out to the van for a good cry. But then I started to think that she was really right. In all of her young innocence and misunderstanding, she is the only one who got it right. Strat Strat is not dead. He is alive and well with his loving King. He is feasting in the banquet halls of his great savior being held and loved by the King of Kings. I recently read the book Choose to See by Mary Beth Chapman. She lost her own child to a similar tragedy two years ago and she reiterates the same point. Choose to SEE that God is real and that the spring is coming. I continue to pray daily for this wonderful, sweet, precious family who is having to wait now to hold their son again and waiting to blow belly raspberries again. I am better understanding the mercies and grace of my King. I know my little rascals are wild and chaotic all of the time, but I can still pick them up and love on them in person during this long hard life. In this I give praise. I can move forward in the hope of Christ and in knowing that Ann had to leave us two years ago to go to her King and help him prepare the place for little Strat Strat. I know Ann loved my children and knew how to blow the best belly raspberries. I believe in the purpose of life and now have a tiny understanding in the purpose of death. I thank God that I know that she is there with little Stratton to hold his mother's place until she arrives. I don't know that I will fully understand the death of a child for a long time, but I am consoled by the fact that Ann and others were waiting at those beautiful gates with a grandmother's hug for a beautiful little blond haired boy that was my daughter's friend.

Playground rules have changed...

2010-09-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

My girls had me laughing in shock today with their renditions of our old hand games from the recess yard. Maggie's went like this...(arms in a circle in front of her) Open the gate, (you are asked to pull open her hands), Who do you hate? (you are expected to answer with a name- I was shocked speechless, so I didn't answer) That's who you date! (Rolling laughter...) Then Ann Cherie, as if to one up, folded her hands in the old "Here's the church, here's the steeple" mode and said, "Open the diaper- What's inside?" and instead of people you got poop fingers. OMG, how the recess yard has changed over the years- and they go to the magnet school.

Blog peace or is it piece...

2010-09-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

I have decided that I am beginning prayer now for a job that requires me to blog all day! I imagine that a nice, quiet little cell (thinking less prison, more cubicle) with my own computer without sticky keypad letters and screaming children attached would be quite lovely. I have visions of great writing that is not all about my rugrat children and their tirades through our chaotic life. I have dreams of peace and intelligent thought working cohesively to produce world changing and motivating words. Ok, people, I did say dreams and visions... don't chastise me...

The Joys of Garbage Pick-Up

2010-07-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

In case you are a new reader (lol, I know, but I do love my three readers!!) , you may not know that I live on a farm in the middle of BFE (you can wiki that acronym). I moved here from the "Huge Metropolis", that it now seems, of Vicksburg, Ms. I giggle now when I think of how I use to think Vicksburg was a small town going nowhere. The really funny part is that I left that "little" town to move to RODESSA. Really, I swear, I did not do drugs in college. I did however fall in love. (Mush, I know.) So anyway, I was messaging with a friend today about how I really do love so many things about this old farm, like space, quiet, fishing in the catfish pond with friends, riding four wheelers anytime I want or don't want it seems (and which was a luxury for me growing up), and letting my kids run wild outside with only snakes to really fear. Anyway, I mentioned, though, that the two things I miss the most and really HATE about living on the farm are milk and movies. Now, don't go calling CPS on me thinking I don't provide milk to my babies, but seriously, we drive 15 mins. to buy milk. Now movies are an hour away. But mostly I miss how my friends use to call me last minute and I'd meet them at the movies. Oh, no. That does not EVER happen on the farm. You have to schedule two hours of driving time into every movie. There is no last minute grab a friend for a meal and a movie. Anyway, she sent me back a one-liner that was just so incredible. She said, "I like trash pick-up...." That sums up the city in one line, people. Farms must haul their trash to the dump, which is only open on certain days at certain times, which, mind you, are NEVER the times you are at home and available to "take off" the trash. Sucks, yeah. Stinks, more. So anyway, all my city dweller friends jealous of my open field "romance" of a life (obviously you have never read the rest of my blog), just remember me next time your trash bin is smelling pretty rotten and you have that glinting thought that it's not to worry because your trash runs tomorrow...Life on the farm is smelly, far-out business. Not to mention those rugrats, I swear...

Moma drama...

2010-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

I am a moma. That being said, I am not the maid, the psychologist, the marriage counselor, the gourmet chef, the perfect whatever...you continue to fill in the blanks! My kids have managed to destroy my house in the last half an hour!!! I need a personal nanny for each one of them, which I should have prefaced by saying that I need to move to Panama to afford my life. I am so needing Dr. Whateverhisnameis to come into my home and show me how to be this idealist perfect mom that I am definitely not. As of 8:30 this morning, I have already made three different breakfasts (because Ann Cherie doesn't want cereal and Maggie could not be made to eat oatmeal if the Lord himself came down from the sky right now and asked to eat with her), swept the entire house (because Laura was given chips to eat by her big sisters and chose to consume them while walking in a trail all over the house), mopped the house (because Maggie tumped her cereal bowl over and sugary milk leaves a mark on tables and floors), unloaded the dishwasher (as the two big girls whined and complained about being asked to help all the while it definitely not being something they had on their "Want to do" list for the day), reloaded the dishes (from all the different breakfast meals), and folded clothes (while the kids STOMP their feet trudging through the house as they are "FORCED" to put up their own clothes). So as of today, my home is being declared a nudist colony and a survivor episode. I am refusing to cook (to everyone's distinct pleasure- fend for yourself or eat the bugs that you attract with your trail of chips), refusing to wash clothes (when you run out of clean ones- GO NAKED for all I care), and refusing to wash dishes (maybe when you have to carve a branch into a bowl because all of ours have grown mold you will appreciate me). TLC, filming may begin as soon as you wish- my check, however, can be forwarded to the bahamas, where I will be permanently residing for the remainder of my life. I wish... These rugrats, I swear...

Kids and Diet Pills

2010-07-11T05:51:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that diet pills would be unnecessary if thyroid hormone levels in children were tested and adult levels were maintained at the child level percentage. My children did not go to sleep until 11p.m. last night. I put them in bed at 9p.m. and still heard them in there talking until 11. Now, that didn't bother me too terribly because I knew we hadn't gotten to go swimming yesterday due to the rain, so the energy level was a little high. And I was counting on getting to SLEEP IN this morning. HA! Laura was up at 6:30a.m.!!!! She has already spilled her juice, peed on the chair in the dining room (which are thankfully all wood and easily wiped down now), trailed fruit loops down the whole side of my house, drug out four different babies and blankets and strollers, and successfully woken up her sisters. Bottle that for me, PLEASE!! I need to lose some weight. If I could have HALF of that energy I would be a skinny momma! That little rugrat, I swear.....

Personal venting...Read at your own risk...

2010-07-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Well, mom left to go home today. I have done nothing but cry since then. She was so funny telling me her whirlwind story of her trip to get here. She was packing Wed. morning to head this direction when Kaylee, my 16 year old sister, ran down the stairs telling mom that it was 10:01a.m. and she was suppose to be somewhere at ten and worse yet, she was supposed to have taken Claire as well. She begged mom to run take Claire so that she wouldn't miss this whole thing while Kaylee went up to hurriedly dress. So mom made the unexpected outing to drop Claire off, and she decided to go ahead and fill up her car with gas for the trip. She gets to the gas station and inadvertently trips her car alarm system and couldn't figure out how to turn the horn off. She is standing there so embarrassed as people offer suggestions as how to make the noise go away as she frantically pushes every button on her keys and finally puts them in the car lock for the magic turn that silences the lambs! By now it is approximately the time she was suppose to arrive at my house and she is still needing to get home to finish packing. Needless to say, she arrived around 2 o'clock to my house, but arrived safe and sound, nonetheless! Frankie is working the oil spill mess so I am basically a single mom this half of the summer, which would be a job with one child, but I have three. Plus, I can't lift much because of the bladder lift/hysterectomy, so mom has to be here to help me out. She made my favorite, chicken spaghetti, for me that was sooo good! The kids are such a handful and my furniture arrived, so it was a hectic couple of days around here. Pictures are all off the walls, shelves had to be rearranged, etc. We got all of it situated, but it kept us so busy. We stayed up until 2 in the morning talking because that was the only quiet time that my children didn't monopolize. They are like garbage disposals- always hungry, always making messes, and always processing. Then mom had to go home today. She always seems happier on the day she is leaving, which depresses me because I know we (meaning the kids and myself) were tough for her to handle. (I know she needed to get home. It is just that feeling right after your mom leaves that is just empty.) And, speaking of processing, Laura was in the mood today and peed on the old couch not 5 minutes after mom left. Then proceeded to abandon the potty altogether as some sort of defiance at the loss of her Nonnie, I am assuming. She has since peed on the floor in her room, the floor in the kitchen, in MY bed, and most recently the computer chair- with double occupancy mind you, (Yes, ALL OVER ME!)and after I had just sat her on the potty. Just picture the little old woman who lived in a shoe... So I was already bummed that my mom had to go home and Frankie calls me and decides he is finally ready to have "the talk". (No, we're not divorcing, people! and the hysterectomy took care of the other talk!) "The talk" is the "Joy wants new employment in civilization and I can't leave my Daddy" talk. He starts telling me about how hard a move will be and how he is happy in his job and happy on the farm with his family and how I just need to figure out what makes me happy here...blah, blah, blah... Really??? Tonight?? My mother just left for crying out loud. I am a nervous wreck with the kids... Anyway. The talk began and so did the tears. Now they won't stop. For starters, I need a new job. Out of education, people. I mean as far away from children as possible, because when you have your own, it is too hard to come home to them after having a classroomful all day. Now, according to my husband, I have no clue as to where I fit. Yeah, well, let me think. Let me fill him in. New job fits. Living by my mom fits. There are lots of new and innovative changes that I could see fitting. I swear. I was not supported when I wanted to go to law school 5 years ago, because supposedly I was using it as a "ticket off the farm". Now, I KNOW that would have been detrimental to society if I had moved off the farm and all, but not Armageddon... Well, that lack of support will not stop me this time as I find my new "fit". I know I am loved. That is different. And I know I have great friends (Thanks, ya'll, for the encouragement!). That is different. I want to make a difference in life. I want to be helpful and appreciated. I want to put my strengths (I have a master's for goodness sakes!) to a good cause. But I am exhausted. The anxiety of returning to my current job with the same woes of this past year is exhausting me. The kids are exhausting me. The husband working odd, crazy hours- now working those seven hours away from me-exhausts me. The laundry, the dishes, the trapped feeling on this farm... I am feeling the mask coming off in this post. Well, not to worry. I'm determined. I'll find what fits. It is time. I am lowering the mask (of which the meaning of removal I probably should have forewarned Frankie) and preparing for the hurricane that befalls the removal. It is always interesting to see the real me when it is off. I am looking for a life facial. I have given this farm 10 years. It is time to harvest, people, and plant something different! I don't know about you, but I am sick of corn...
P.S. Sara, are they hiring in Istanbul? I have a Master's...
P.P.S. The "people pleaser" mask requires me to add that I am sorry for venting... lol... and Frankie requires me to add that my hormones are on an extreme shift since the hysterectomy which should even out soon... hopefully... cause toilet paper is expensive...sniff...sniff...

Out of the mouths of kids after church...

2010-06-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

Mags was so funny today! She was talking to me after church telling me, "Mommy, I was soo good at church today! Can y0u believe I slept through all that yelling?" I could not stop laughing! Our babtist preacher gets a little loud when he gets fired up! Too funny! Then my friend Beth told me about her daughter telling her, "Mommy, I love Jesus, but I hate going to church!" (They have to go to "big church" now that they will be in Kindergarten!) So funny!

I be STROKIN'...

2010-06-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is my first posting post-hysterectomy/bladder lift! I feel terrific as far as two weeks out goes!! I have the best of friends loving me, praying for me, and best of all COOKING for me! It has been so great! Thanks to everyone for all of these things 10 times over!! I love you all!

Today we went furniture shopping. It was nerve wracking! At the first store or two we hooked L into her stroller. She SCREAMED at the top of her lungs and threw her shoes and unbuckled her little belt like the best of little tantrum throwers because she wanted to "walk herself", so at the last store Frankie decided to let her walk and "hold his hand". HA! That lasted about as long as she could wink! She started by needing to go "potty". That is fun because I can't lift her, so M is lifting her to put her on the potty and she slips and L ends up with her hands in the water in the toilet! Then we finally manage to get her up on the potty, and she sits and I SWEAR- SUCKS HER THUMB! I thought I was going to throw up as I pulled her hand down as fast as I could breathe. Then I wipe her up and we go to wash her hands. Of course the girls have to hold her up again for this one. Ann Cherie puts enough soap on her hands to wash Kate+8's crew and then L decides she no longer wants to wash her hands. She starts kicking and screaming and M drops her. Nice! She is running around the bathroom with soap dripping everywhere and I am saying over and over again, "Laura, come back and finish washing your hands." The big girls are chasing her to help me catch her and she thinks it all grand fun! You can imagine the chaos! Anyway, we finally get washed up and out of the bathroom. The "money lady" as the girls refer to the sales lady is happily showing my husband the furniture in the front of the store, just out of hollering range for him. So as L decides to throw her fit on the floor because she doesn't like "having a shoe" (as she throws hers) and wants to "walk myself" without holding my hand, I send AC for Frankie. He meanders through the furniture to get to us- get this- LAUGHING at L! Oh, if not for surveillance and the whole husband abuse thing, he sooo deserved a slap! We spent the next half hour chasing L while trying to sit on a thousand or so more couches before we finally agreed on a set! Let's just say I am hoping I still have some painkillers or sleeping pills left over from the surgery! Well, the couches will be delivered in two weeks! I am so excited! Those rugrats! If I have a stroke one day you can look back through this blog and know why!

Things change...

2010-05-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

My life is all about change right now. My kids are growing so fast! M starts KINDERGARTEN this year! L will be three, and AC got her first standardized test results. I am also preparing for a hysterectomy and bladder lift. I feel like the baby stage is officially come to an end on the farm! It is wonderful! But part of me feels like she is going to cut out my identity when she performs that surgery. I know that sounds crazy because all of these years I have fussed and complained about life with kids' woos, but really what else have I accomplished over the last ten years? I may not be the best at anything, and certainly not motherhood, either, but I have kept them alive for 8 years now. And most of the time they don't look or act like homeless hobos. All in all, though, I have been really good at being pregnant and eating too much. So after the surgery, that success level will be eliminated. That will not be a bad thing, just a definitive chapter in my life torn away with three little rugrats as evidence of it's previous existence. So on to my next chapter, right? Problem is, only God knows what that chapter is to hold, and if anyone knows me, you know that I am a control freak. Giving up the control (if I ever really had any) over where I am to go next in my life has proven terrifying. I litterally feel like I did in high school, wondering what I want to be when I grow up. I know that God is leading me away from my current teaching post, yet I cannot see past the laundry to know which new direction he is pointing. I used to pray in times like these and tell God where I wanted him to say it was OK for me to go, always to be shown a better way, but now I find myself praying for peace and surrender. I am so exhausted from dishes and laundry and piano and choir, that I cannot even breathe sometimes. I truly feel overwhelmed. I almost wish that it was still third grade and I could still dream of being an astronaut minus the math and the parachute jump. Anyway, times change, and God brings better things. God moves mountains, even ones made of laundry from three rugrats and a giant.

Hallelujah for J.T.'s vocals

2010-03-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

OMG, my friend from high school just posted himself singing the fabulous song Hallelujah on You Tube. You have got to hear it if you haven't already. It is incredible! I wish the whole world could hear his voice. He has such a tremendous gift. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndbeNfUqSpA

Life is short...and fun!

2010-03-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

The past four weeks have been both sad and fun all rolled into one. I blogged last about Grandpa falling and breaking his pelvis. Two weeks later he was dead. He could be such a grumpy feller that at first I didn't really know how I felt, but in the end I loved him and he loved me. That's really all that matters in life. It was weird going into their house the first time and not hearing him hollering, "Polly...Polly". I can't imagine how she feels right now. I can't imagine being married for 64 years. What a great legacy of love. The weekend of his memorial was a blast with all of the cousins. That sounds awful, I guess, to say, but we see so little of some of the cousins as they live in Nashville, Houston, Ruston, etc. Having EVERYONE here was great. We all sat around the table as the kids ran around playing. Shawn broke out his guitar and we sang hymns for a couple of hours. So fun to laugh and love each other! That is what life is about. That is what Grandpa started. So I suppose I should look at my kids when they drive me crazy and make them promise... to learn to play the guitar!

The other fun we have had in the last week proved elemental in my survival as a sane woman. Frankie hosted the Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association Convention in Shreveport this year. My mom (God love and keep her) kept the kids for me! We had around 200 folks up here having a great time! Busy and fun! Lauraleigh took me to buy some "Booty Bling" jeans from Buckle on one of our outing days! If you do not own a pair of "Booty Bling" jeans from Buckle, then get yourself on down to the mall. It will take 10, 20, 30 years off of your booty. Of course you have to have the "Booty Bling" belt to go with it. It really was a blast. We got our nails done, bought new shoes, and danced all night. I actually felt like a real, live woman again. Who knew a pair of jeans and a night with no kids could prove me capable of living again! It was the best weekend I have had in a long while. Even though Mom has now cancelled the week she was suppose to keep the kids this summer, it was still worth having my weekend! (The best part was seeing how ragamuffin my children looked when I picked them up from her! They were first to admit they had not been made to brush their teeth but maybe twice and certainly did not pick up a brush! Awesome! I am not such a terrible mother after all, huh, Mom!) Those rugrats finally were not responsible for a blog! I am so proud of them and mom for living through the experience!

Picture Proof...

2010-02-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, my picture proof has come back to bite me. This week has been crazy as all have seemed lately. L was mo' sick with a sinus infection and an ear infection and WHINY, let me tell you WHINY! Then Granpa fell and broke his pelvis and hip. They took him to Texarkana because ALL of the hospitals in Shreveport were full. He was finally cleared for surgery last night. So anyway, with a crazy week I was exhausted today and decided to lay down for a while and read this cloudy afternoon away, all the while praising God for the peace for a minute to read! Well, I hadn't been in my bed for about 15 mins when Maggie came around the corner and took a picture of me. I asked her what she was doing playing with my camera, to her reply,"I needed to be able to prove to my daddy that you laid around her reading a book in your bed all day and won't play with me." Seriously. She's five. Geez. My little rugrat. (And Melody, that is not funny!)

Louisiana Snow Day...

2010-02-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

It is snowing like crazy over here! Which, of course, is an exceptionality in rural Northern Louisiana. I really loved seeing my students go crazy in the snow! We worked hard today as we listened to Melody's sultry voice singing, "Oh, the weather outside is frightful..." while we did our snow dance this morning at school! My own kids are so crazy happy that there is no school tomorrow! They made me go look out the window to see 100 things when we got home tonight. "Mom, there is SNOW on the trampoline...swing...dog...etc." as if the snow was going to just pass over those things and land only on the ground. Maggie even asked me where the grass went when the snow was on it. So funny! So anyway, all that said to say, DO NOT CALL ME IN THE MORNING. I am sleeping in!! We are out for SNOW DAY or is it Valentines, or Chinese New Year, or Mardi Gras, or President's Day...Who cares!!! YEa!!! lol Here are some pics from our "Snow Day" holiday! Funny little rugrats...

Sick Days...

2010-02-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

My kids have been so sick. We finally got AC over mono like two weeks ago just to have Mags and L come down with it this week. They are so whiny, and I had to take off three days to keep them. It was Frankie's week to go to Baton Rouge so he couldn't adjust his schedule (and didn't need to considering he had just rearranged his two weeks ago for AC). Anyway, then I got in trouble at school over a miscommunication. Totally terrible. I always work so hard to be my very best (ya'll know how I am) just to have it all crash in this week. Well, to top it all off, Frankie is at the emergency room with Mags hoping she didn't break two of her fingers when she and her big sister were fighting and slamming the door in each other's faces- hence slamming fingers in the process. FUN! FUN!! Where are my nerve pills again? Good news is that we finished AC's room. That was a huge undertaking that I am glad is over. In the pics we had not finished her closet doors, but they are done now. I will have to post a done pic soon. She is really loving having her own place that is clutter free and quiet so she can read and do homework. Now, if the middle rugrat wouldn't go in there to drive her crazy we wouldn't have broken fingers. Now it just wouldn't be right not to mention the pasta and spilt kool-aid supper, would it! Pic is attached- don't worry, all disasters are being documented, remember?!! At least we are clothed! These rugrats are wearing me down.

Still Alive...

2010-01-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

OMDLJ....First day of Jillian's 30 day shred. Still alive. Mighty red faced, but still alive. Pray for me. (Yes, I do workout in jewelry when I forget to take it off, and Jillian sure doesn't give you a break for that kinda thing...lol)

Bonnie and Jena...old times...

2010-01-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

I suppose with aging comes that part of dementia where you only remember the good ole days! I felt like it was the good old days when Bonnie dropped by to visit during Christmas break! My sister is a busy nurse supervisor and Bonnie books for the Ellen show out in California, but when you drop two Mississippi girls back home for the holidays the good times are definitely here again! Loved seeing you, Bonnie, and my sister for that matter! It seems like Jena is out in CA sometimes even though she is only in Brandon, MS! Girls, you are gorgeous! Love my family and my friends!

29...with a year's experience

2010-01-24T20:03:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am 30. Geez, that was hard to say! My fabulous friends ensured that EVERYONE knew it was my birthday as well! Amanda decorated my door at school and initiated help from Frankie to decorate my van. Which ended up being somewhat of a school field trip! On my actual birthday weekend, my friends had a party for me at Restorante Guiseppe (spelled something like that) followed by an 80's band at the Celebrity Lounge. It was so fun! I have unfortunately had ample opportunity to use the nerve pills and depends that were gifted to me that day! Thanks ya'll, for a fabulous decade and an even better birthday! Love you all!

2010-01-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

I love GIRLS DAY OUT! Mel, Amanda, Beth, and I veged out with mani/pedi's and a great "salad" lunch at Superior last week! Kim and Anna met us for lunch. I love getting to visit without kids climbing on me and interrupting, and I love eating without having to wear my kids food! Thanks girls for a fun and RELAXING morning in town!

The Prophet- Temae

2010-01-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, my Temae has been emailing me a daily scripture and it is almost a little scary, but totally awesome, how they have coordinated in my life. The first one was listed in my blog a few nights ago from Galations- remember the "Don't faint" verse... Today's verse totally synced with yesterday's triple trouble. It is 1 Peter 1:7
Let God have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and
watching everything that concerns you.
Well, God, here they are, all listed out for you in my previous blog. They are yours. Happily given away. And I love you all the more for it.

So I suppose this means that I don't have to give my rugrats away to the lowest bidder. My sanity restored, maybe I can go on to greater things!

Shout out to my students who rocked the Dibels test today! Great job, ya'll!

"3 times daily"

2010-01-20T20:12:00.001-08:00

OMG, I am sooo crazy worn out! We have finally finished our back room! TTL! We got Ann Cherie moved into her private suite (for that is what it deserves to be called after all the money we ended up spending) in time for her to catch MONO! If you have ever had a child with MONO you understand! She is too tired to breathe, yet her sisters will not leave her alone. Plus, she can't go to school again until next week, (she has been off all this week). She can't do PE for a month and no contact sports for six months. She has blood drawn every few days to check her liver and spleen, etc. It is crazy. Top that off with Maggie's ear infection and L's rash (had her Derm. appt today) and you have Mommy in a straight jacket. Now if I can just keep all the meds and creams and soaps and drops, etc., straight for all of them... Plus, momma was coming over to help keep AC (so that we wouldn't have to take off the next few days) and her car kicked the bucket about two hours into her trip, so needless to say, she is dealing with getting that fixed and can't come here anymore. I know, terrible luck for her, eh. She was coming because Big Frank has had the stomach flu the last 72 hours, so we were trying to avoid needing him to watch AC to pass that virus on to add to our list. (Plus, how crappy would that be to have Mono and get the flu...) Well, Frankie had to read for "Reading with Heroes" today at my school, and since Mom was all the sudden out of commission Big Frank and AC got together after all and watched movies and napped all day. I'm sure it was hard on Big Daddy, but we'll just pray for him and that we all don't get the stomach bug. On the ride home from taking L to the Derm. appt today we drove through a hail and tornado storm. I will have to check my van in the morn. to tell whether there is damage or not. L's dermatologist I am sure has never had children and for sure never multiple children in one household. She gave us two creams (that are "3 times daily" creams- you know how hard it is to remember "3 times daily"), a special lotion, and a special cleanser. I am to bathe her alone each evening, apply the special lotion, allow that to dry and apply the first cream, allow that to dry and apply the second cream. The two creams I am to do "3 times daily" (did I already emphasize that). I do all that in hopes that the creams don't aggrevate her excema which will reek havok on the mulloscum and we have to start all over with different creams. Did I mention it took 2.5 hours to be handed this diagnosis. That does not count the 1.5 hours in Target following the appt. to try to get all of these "3 times daily" creams. GEEZ! "3 times daily" I just want to cry and scream and trade my profession for drug dealer/ drug quality control tester. I swear, I am not making all this up. This is just in the last two days of my life, most of it today. Did I mention the mound of laundry and dishes that never tend to fend for themselves. My rugrats have officially worn me down.

New verse applicable to life...

2010-01-15T15:44:00.001-08:00

Ok, I am seeing that it has been MONTHS since I have blogged. So, Happy New Year 2010! Well, I wish life had been on pause at the Reger farm as my blog has been! I have found an applicable Bible verse to aptly explain my existance. It is Galations 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Most of the time I am simply trying not to faint! lol! Anyway! I have started a new trend! I am documenting my daughters' disasters better with the camera now! I am sharing some pics of the most recent Sunday morning. Why do all things tramatic and time consuming have to occur on SUNDAY MORNINGS!? I know it is the devil. And only the devil. I just haven't figured out whether the devil is attacking my family or if he permanently resides in my children. I am proud to say that Ann Cherie got saved a month or so ago, so I know he is attacking her from the outside, the other two??? Well, that is still debatable. Hope you enjoy the toothpaste interior decorating( still trying to figure out how to get toothpaste out from between the sliding doors. Where's Martha when you need her?), room remodeling, computer reorganization, and so forth that have most recently engaged my children. (And yes, L is allergic to clothes, I suppose, because she is out of them quicker than I can keep her dressed! Mom says it's payback!) I had some marker body art pics to share, but Frankie said it would not be appropriate to post. She used brown marker to color her entire body including in and around her back bottom. Looked like poop, until you saw her arms and legs, and face, etc. So hilarious! Probably the best pic, but in order to avoid having CPS enter the mix, I am not posting it. Let me know if you have any suggestions on the devil thing. PLEASE PRAY FOR MY LITTLE RUGRATS, and for me to not faint!

Booty Soap...

2009-10-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

My friend works as my daughter's school. She called me tonight to tell me that my oldest daughter went to school and told everyone at her school that Laura had to go to the ER after she slipped on daddy's booty soap! How embarrassingly funny! Laura did indeed slip in the shower. Frankie bought some new pump body wash that Laura was trying hard to get to pump out. She finally got a little dot to come out, so she reached up to show me. She lost her footing and fell backwards. She bit her tongue terribly. I have never seen that much blood! Anyway! We are well known in our local ER! Maggie was just in the ER on Tuesday after getting 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her thumb at Pizza Hut after marinara sauce spilt on her. What a fun week! With all of that and Halloween frenzy keeping us busy, it is crazy around here! My poor little wrecked out rugrats!

Soccer Mom

2009-10-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

I am really there! I have their names and a soccer ball sticker on my back windshield of the minivan to prove it! My Honda minivan is now the ultimate soccer ride! Good thing, seeing as that is all we do almost every afternoon! We have the windshield decal, a trunk full of water bottles, lawn chairs, umbrellas, bug spray, and soccer equipment, and a middle row full of mud soaked, discarded cleats and socks to prove it! Just today we had two games. Monday night one has practice, the other a game. Friday afternoon one has practice, and next Sat. morn we are up for two more! Fun! If I didn't have to drive a minimum of 30 mins to get to either a game or practice, it might be better! The girls are LOVING it though! And the exercise makes it way easier to ship them off to bed at night! I am counting my blessings on that part, believe me! Maggie played goalie today! She did not let a ball get by her! She was so good and aggressive! She was also a MUDDY MESS! And happy to boot! Such a tomboy! AC on the other hand could have been reading a book on the field (and would have been happier, I'm sure) for as much attention as she paid to the ball! She did finally kick the ball one time to another player! Go, AC! She had fun waving to me from the field and reminding me that we brought snacks for the team, though! (And that is of the utmost importance! I understand!)

I am finally feeling better after having strep throat this week! I got it four times last year! I guess over Thanksgiving I will try to have the tonsils removed! Fun FUn!

I went to a lingerie shower tonight for my cousin Lauren! She got some beautiful pieces! It made me want to visit the adult store! She got a policewoman teddy thing that had two zippers that could be unzipped from the bottom or the top, complete with handcuffs! I don't think Frank and I would be smart enough to figure out the zippers, and who needs complications when it comes to that end of the marriage. So I figure I will skip out on that purchase if I ever go to the adult store. Plus the zippers looked like they would run right past the ladies and OMG if that got caught in the skin...But most of the other stuff was your regular old shower stuff- a few raunchy and a few "practical". She did get panties with "Mrs. Edwardes" monogrammed on the booty. How ADORABLE! I can't say I have ever thought about monogramming stuff on the back side of my panties! Alright, I am being given the TMI look from Frankie!

Well, go love on your rugrats instead of reading about mine! Love you all!

Hometown, USA

2009-10-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

I de clare, you have missed so much if you haven't visited the Rodessa, Ida, Arklatex lately. You not only missed the Lawn Mower Parade at Ida Day, you are also missing the Daily Crimeteam Roundup Spin on our local news station. The Roundup is a wheel with criminals faces on it that the newsteam spins each night on the news. Whomever the wheel stops on, the newsteam gets us up to date on how they are doing! Now how are you surviving when missing out on all of that celebrity news? I know you are making moving plans as you read. Louis powerwashed and waxed his lawnmower the other day in order to participate in the Lawn Mower Parade at Ida Day! It was a complete success! All types of mowers were represented in the town's annual celebration! I am so proud that we are able to offer such a diverse parade setting in our area. All walks of lawn mowers came together to celebrate their heritage. The entire show did a great deal to continue to forge the incredible sense of community that we know is available to the great citizens and lawnmower owners in the "city". But never fear, you have not missed it all! I feel sure that you will ensure your calandars are updated to include the new camper trailer skirting parties that are all the rage in our neighborhoods! Don't miss out, now, ya hear! Come visit our Hometown soon!

An Afternoon with Dada!

2009-08-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

Big Frank (aka Dada) kept the kids for me this afternoon while I went to walk! The minute that I walked in he pointed his gigantic finger at me and said, “You knew she was dirty when you left! You knew!” “LAURA?” I replied. “Yes, Laura! You knew she had a giant poopoo in her diaper when you gave her to me, didn’t you?!” he argued. Naturally, knowing DADA DOES NOT DO DIAPERS I would never have left her dirty, so she must have gotten relaxed on the four-wheeler with him and pooped! After all of that was cleared up he leaned forward and proceeded to tell me the clean-up fiasco! “I got her off the four-wheeler and she was pulling at her diaper trying to take it off. So I checked her, and boy did she EVER have a huge poopoo in her diaper! I took her into the bathroom and laid out a towel on the floor. I had just washed my rugs (solid white), too! I laid her down and started wiping. I used the wipes that where the heavy duty floor cleaning wipes, because yours didn’t look like they had any soap in them. I used about twelve of those and was stacking them on top of the diaper. She just wouldn’t be still. She was moving the whole time like a squirmy worm kicking her feet and moving her butt from side to side. Doesn’t she know she is spreading the poopoo? Ann Cherie helped inspect to make sure I did it right and got her clean enough. Then I got up and helped the baby up. I took the towel out from under her, and she took off! The diaper was stuck to her sock, though, and she started dragging poop everywhere and the dirty wipes were falling off and everything! Oh, it was gross! I don’t know how ya’ll do it everyday. Does she poop everyday? I had poop on everything, my arms, everything.” He finished dramatically. I was laughing so hard that I had no reply! Now imagine my six foot eight giant grandpa here living through this story and retelling it! Hilarious! Yeah, DADA! Your first poopie diaper! That rugrat…I swear!

The poop factor...y

2009-08-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

My children...my children...my children... I am just about ready to start school. You know that feeling when you are finally ready to trade your own children for twenty others! Well, I am there! Good thing, because we start school Monday! I am so busy trying to get my room ready, my class website ready, my copies made, etc. We went up to the school today to tweek some things and tape some things and hang some things... and took the kids with us! Laura poops like the second we get there and "mother-of-the-year" did not bring the diaper bag. Genius, I know, Kaylee, you don't even have to say it. So I change her and leave her "nakid" to run up and down the hall! Ann Cherie pops popcorn and Laura helps spread it from one end of my room to the other (of course, the sweepers have already left for the week. It is Saturday after all!) Laura finds my marker stash and draws a nice picture on the front of my microwave for me to remember her by every day! I pass out first day activity papers and freshly sharpened pencils on the tables and Laura picks a few of them to leave drawings on as well (another genius moment on my part)! The kids should enjoy that! Frankie hooks up my DVD player to the Elmo and starts the girls a movie only to hear a loud buzzing sound moments later when Laura figures out it is quite fun to push buttons and pull cords out of the projector! Of course, this messes up the movie which greatly saddens Maggie. (Just picture fussing and croc tears...) Finally we get it all hung and fixed, and I send the girls out with Frankie to get in the van. I stop in my quiet room that is organized and finally ready...and pray.

I always get nervous about the first day of school, no matter how many times I have done it. I know the students are just as nervous. I always ask myself how can I be the best teacher for them this year? What am I missing or forgetting? I want these kids to learn to love to read. I want them to have a crazy family and a crazy job down the road. I want them to experience the world. I wish the kids could really understand my ambitions for them. They are such babies, and yet, so grown up because of our society. I want the same things for my own kids, on a much deeper level (partially because I am funding them until they do succeed). I love watching them grow intellectually. Ann Cherie is reading so well. She is researching things and asking questions. Maggie lives life to the fullest. She is so much bigger than life, it is not even funny! She is learning so much from Ann Cherie, too! Laura is really starting to show her little personality! I love babies at this almost two year old age! (Well, I don't love the poopies or the crayon murals, but you know what I mean!) I guess this time of year always causes me to reflect and challenge. My assistant principal said we must find the diamond in each student. I beg to argue that some may only be gems of a rare find, but needless to say gems that need mining. I hope to mine them out a little this year. I hope to work closely with Christ and my curriculum to make another year, and hopefully we can all sparkle a little after all is said and done! So as I pray for myself, my family, and my students, say a quick prayer for all teachers and their mine fields this year! Might our little rugrats be worth millions?

OOOOOOOklahoma!

2009-07-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

We had such a fabulous time camping with the Sullivan's and the Dean's at Broken Bow, Oklahoma this past weekend! Mrs. Awesome (AKA Lauraleigh) played Redneck Cleopatra very well atop the tube with her BLL! Tammy had a Happy Birthday (39)! The boys caught 'em a nice long snake! And finally, I got to ski! I really enjoyed lazing around on the float with "the girls"! The little ones all jumped off the top of the party barge (thanks Dean's for bringing your barge), and even Tammy was talked into tubing with us on our boat (after much ado! But she did it with pictures to prove it)! The water was clear and the sun was hot! I even managed to get some "Big Ass" recipes from our own Tammy (not the Sweet Potato Queen herself, but she could be! And you HAVE to read the Sweet Potato Queen's Big Ass Cookbook if you do not know the other Tammy I am talking about! The author is Jill Connor Browne-I think!) The first recipe is a fabulous dip and soooo easy! Mix a pack of FIESTA Ranch (you know the packets they sell by the mayo stuff, but not just regular ranch) and a 16oz. sour cream for an eat-yourself-fat dip! We enjoyed it with Ruffles potato chips! Tammy swore she gained at least three pounds over the three days! That always signifies a great trip! The other delicious thing she made was a fabulous Caesar Pita! Take a pita and cut it in half. Fill the pita with pre-cooked chicken pieces. Add lettuce, tomato, parmesean cheese (or provolone), and pour Caesar dressing all over the top of it! OMG, it was so good! Lauraleigh made fabulous muffalettas! She took sweet rolls and cut them in half, added provolone cheese, olives and olive juice, and salami, and cooked them for a few minutes in the oven to toast and melt the cheese! Sooo fattening-which means it was divine! I promise we swam and tubed and skipped rocks and rode in the boat more than we ate, but the eating was good! My rugrats came back with both memories and sun (but not too burned)!

2009-07-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those LAZY days of summer that it seems we have had very few of this year! The kids are running around in clothes that don't match, if they even managed to put shorts on at all! Our hair is not brushed, neither are our teeth. We are reading and playing on the computer and chasing each other with the water spray bottle inside the house because it is too hot outside! I do enjoy these few days in life! You would really laugh (or cry) if you could see the laundry piled on the couch, the crumbs on the floor, and the dishes (and finger nail paint) in the sink! But I feel like today should just be lazy. I hope you have time in your life to enjoy being lazy with your rugrats as well! It is so worth it! Ya'll come visit us on the farm!

Sleepover Madness!

2009-07-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

The girls had funky hairdo fun the other night when Erica and Emilee spent the night! Erica won first place! They are so innocently fun at this age! I wish all my friends would still come over to play and pull my hair in a hundred different directions at midnight at night! We could wake MY MOM up to take pictures! What a fun summer!

Housecleaning helpers or no help...

2009-07-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

After working in my classroom all day (the kids had "Terrific Tuesday" fun at the church) I came home to spend some time with my angels and get a few things done around the house! Ok, I know I am tired, but my children DO NOT HEAR ME when I speak. They tend to lose their hearing at around two years old in my family (it must be hereditary because their daddy does it, too!) I dropped them off in a huff up at Big Daddy's today after two hours of fighting with them to get anything done! I swear, I am worn out after making them DO anything! I had to chase them with the wooden spoon- I know I should have used it, but I was concerned that two blogs in a row about spanking my children would definitely have garnered the CPS's attention- to get them to halfway fold THEIR clothes today. Then I had to follow them with the bucket to the laundry room to get them to bring it to me. I was trying to make a point that when I asked them to bring me the bucket they were going to bring it to me (you know, the whole I am the mother thing! Especially after the humiliation at Wally World the other day!) I had to physically walk them into the living room to the bucket, lean over them so that they would lean over, push their fingers to grip the sides of the bucket, pick it up while holding their hands on it, and walk us to the dryer! (Now do you see why the wooden spoon would have been much more efficient?!) Now, after getting the clothes out of the dryer I asked them to bring me the dirty clothes. Well, I am sad to say my children have all grown deaf AND mute. So we did the whole walk with them trip again around the house to gather clothes. FUN FUN!!! Seriously, I wanted to pull their ears off by now! I looked on MY bed, now this is MY BED mind you, and someone had opened a package of crackers and left them on my bed! Well, Laura found that to be a fabulous snack all over my comforter! I asked the girls to bring me the broom and a dustpan (And told them the whole I didn't make the mess thing...) and got NO response. I ended up going to get the broom myself while uttering a few nice words under my breath. I made them some supper later and reminded them that their food was on paper plates to please throw them away when they were done. I reminded them that Laura liked to get into the food! It must have been a monumental task that I asked of them, because I came around the corner to find Laura covered in ketchup and bananas not two seconds after I set their food in front of them and from ketchup not from her own plate. (Literally, I walked back into the kitchen to make my plate! Needless to say, I never ate!) I looked in their room and their drawers were all open with clothes hanging out, not a shoe in the closet it seemed, and their whole comforter was pulled off the bed! I told them to pick it all up and that I would return in a while to check on their progress. Well, let's just say that it was still on the floor a while later when I went on my to-be-mentioned outing. I calmly asked Ann Cherie to run around and gather all the dirty dishes (which are theirs, of course!) and she told me she was BUSY-wait for it- ON THE COMPUTER! Well, that did it! I walked them out to the car with no shoes and no shorts in the rain and dropped them off at their Dada's house where their daddy had conveniently needed to work on his boat his last two days off! I left for Shreveport! I feel much better now. It is amazing how a spray tan, a Starbucks (a caramel machiato-with whole milk-I didn't skimp on calories tonight!), and another hour of whining to my mom on the phone revive your reason for living! My little rugrats...I swear...and mom, you can be proud! I did not climb into a book to hide away! I got away- all the way to Shreveport! YEAH!

Trouble Part 2...

2009-07-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

My friend from high school, Jennifer Sykes, summed the wal-mart saga up better than I ever could have with this facebook response to the link to my blog (I am still laughing):

"And I thought our shopping trips were bad!! My favorites are the old ladies who are giving you dirty looks for something...not disciplining your child, disciplining your child, screaming child, whining child, loud child, candy to said child to stop all of the above, no candy to said child for doing all of the above! I mean, seriously, do not judge me or my child until you have walked in our shoes and lived through our day! Hope tomorrow is better!"

I totally relate to that!! LOL! Thanks, Jennifer! Even my mom (as I moaned and whined about the whole fiasco on the phone for an hour) acted as if I was letting my children take control and how I could do a better parenting job next time. I remember her saying, "...next time I would let them know they were not going to make a peep, not with me. I would dare them to touch anything, if they were with me. I would make them think run and hide around the store if they were with me!" This is the same grandmother who spent $300 last time she was in Wal-Mart with only two of my children and bought everything they could even imagine wanting just to keep them happy! Oh the saga continues! My rugrats...I swear!

Trouble with a capital W

2009-07-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I think I smoked crack in my sleep last night, because I decided to take all three kids to WALMART today! That should be enough said, but I will indulge my readers. I should have known I was in for it when I drove up and all three kids were asleep in the back. I had been talking to mom on the drive there, and I didn't even realize how quiet it had been! So anyway! Waking my kids up is like waking up the bear cubs! Ann Cherie jumped out of the van like a zombie still in the "don't know where I am and can't find my shoes" state. Maggie and Laura just started screaming. Well, seeing as I can't carry all three in, my eyes started searching for extra buggies. Of course, this is the one day there are NO EXTRA buggies ANYWHERE in the whole parking lot to be had. So I grab Laura up to find out she has taken off her shoes, only one of which can now be located. Oh well, who needs shoes? After that search was called off, I grabbed her up again and proceeded to drag Maggie out of the van. The whole while Ann Cherie is standing there telling me how Maggie wakes up cranky, and that I ought to be leaving her alone for a while! No crap! While I do what? Twiddle thumbs; look for my sanity...really! Thanks for the info, baby! I finally drag my entire family INTO the store! Now to grab a buggy! Would you believe that I had to go through three buggies before I found one that had a working clasp that was not otherwise covered in fecal matter or some such other stinky and sticky goop? And Laura HAS to have the clasp! She loves to stand up and test my mother-of-the-year theory! I try to remember to bring my nice $50 fashionable seat cover, but it rarely ever makes it into the store with my ADD brain- not to mention the above mentioned war that distracts me from the logical. Anyway! We are now finally in the buggy and ready to roll- only to be stopped by the oldest geriatric on the planet that was hired to be the "greeter". Well, I was "greeted" with, "Get that kid off the bottom of the buggy," (Maggie's favorite place to ride, mind you, and the only way I was able to get her to stop screaming when I got her in the store!), "Don't you know she could lose a finger or something in the wheel?" Literally, he said this to me, the already-stressed, haven't spent a penny yet, too young to be mother of three. Well, I informed him that fingers were of very little consequence, that I appreciated his parenting advice, and proceeded to roll away. (Ok, so maybe I wasn't quite so nice, but REALLY!) I only had to worry about her fingers for a miniscule amount of time, because when we pulled up to the bananas she remembered it was her turn to bag. Of course she grabbed the set of bananas that were propping up like a whole side of bananas and they all came crashing down to the ground. So I start picking them up and told Maggie to get after it as well. She stands, crosses her arms, and tells me, "No, I am busy putting my nanas in the baggie. You do it, Mommy." Oh my lordy Jesus. So that was not the time for her to institute her stubbornness, hence, the first pop of the outing. (Yes, it was me hitting my child if surveillance makes national news! So take my kids away or something! I need a break!) Alright! We now have one item in our buggy! Congrats! On to the milk isle! According to my children, I do not buy the “right” yogurt, or the “right” milk (there’s right or white here!), or the “right” cinnamon rolls, etc. Maggie asked for chocolate milk so I told her to grab some! She wanted an individual one. I told her to grab the bigger size so that everyone could have some. She was not having any of that. I gave in and allowed her to keep her individual size as well. Big mistake! She walked the whole rest of the store asking every two seconds for me to open her milk for her. Not only did I not want her wearing it before we left, we also had the little thing of paying for things before we ingest them. I was trying to explain to her that it was stealing to open things and drink them before they were paid for. This did not go over well as she explained how she was thirsty in the immediate sense and not in the after you pay for it sense. And so I was reminded around every turn in Wal-Mart. Well all of this “advice” and the incessant whining of Maggie with her unopened milk earned them the second pop of the trip! What glorious fun (the whining, of course, not the popping!)! Onto the paper isle, the toilet paper of course was too big and infringed on Maggie’s new seating arrangement which was now in the big part of the buggy. Maggie starts screaming how it is smashing her legs and hurting her nose, and of course, her hair will fall out if she is uncomfortable for five minutes. Any other day “stadium seating” is preferential for her, but not today. She was NOT sitting on the toilet paper rolls today. She WAS driving me crazy. Because she could obviously not get happy IN the buggy, she earned the right to get OUT of the buggy, which walking was going to permanently disable her as far as she was letting me and surrounding customers know. I remembered I needed paper plates. So we moved on down and the kids started handing me every package of paper plates and noting the exceptionalities of each one. This one has flowers; this one has lines; this one has ANIMALS! Now we had it! They HAD TO HAVE animal plates for the camping trip! What a terror I provided by negating that decision. I’m sure they heard THAT let down back in automotive. Now, back to the food isles! We went to grab some shredded cheese. I am checking out the 35 different brands, prices, etc. (Seriously, can there really be 35 different ways to shred cheese?) I look up, and NO MAGGIE. I swear. I could not find her! Ann Cherie was the deaf mute again who didn’t see anything or know anything because she is NOT the Momma. Finally, about the time I was going to shout for help from other customers, Maggie sits up. That’s right sits up! She had climbed in and laid down in one of the open center fridgerators behind me! Luckily for her it was quite empty of its contents; unfortunately for me, it hid her little body quite well! Ok, my sanity is SHOT by now! On we press to the ink department. Ann Cherie decides to be bossy. SHE will get the ink down from the wall. SHE knows which one; her daddy showed her, etc., etc. Well she knew it had a red package, but that was it, and the ink we needed was on the very top row. She threw a major crying fit because I told her she could not get the ink. My SEVEN year old is throwing in a fit in the middle of electronics because she can’t get ink down that she can’t reach and doesn’t know the number to get in the first place. Good Lord, where are you? (At a spa in NYC, I presume, certainly not in Wal-Mart in Atlanta, TX! Not that I blame you, Lord. I'm with you in spirit, remember!) Back to the food department, of course there I am the TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, ROTTEN (totally relating to that book right now)…mother because: I will not buy EVERY popsicle and ice cream package on that row; I will not buy every package of candy on the candy isle; I will not buy the girls the movie they just want to go “check” to see if it is in the back of the store; I will not buy them a magazine, or a plastic phone, or a sucker, or a package of sparkly permanent markers (to use on my couches later), or animal plates, or Mac-n-cheese (that we have 16 boxes of at home), or EVERYTHING else that they laid eyes on in the store. OMG, I have had it!!!!! About this time we are getting ready to check out and LAURA who has been relatively silent (miraculously) until then decides she has had enough of her ride! She begins to wail and tries to stand up and starts throwing all of the stuff she can reach behind her in the buggy to the floor as hard as she can. Blackberries and strawberries went everywhere! Instead of helping me pick up the mess, Maggie and Ann Cherie are handing me candy after candy and begging for each one followed with my insistent “No” to each one, and their incessant replies as to their NEED for each one. All the while, Ann Cherie HAS to go to the bathroom, this need of which I am reminded of repeatedly until I could actually take her to the bathroom after checking out! That is when I lost it. I cried the whole time I checked out and most of the way home. The kids have won, I say! I am officially mother-of-the-year- crowned and curtsied! (Well, I am counting my blessings. Laura could have pooped or something!)
Needless to say, my doctor is on speed dial for a tubal ligation appointment first thing in the morning. And mom, you are coming to keep the kids while I recuperate, because you always made out how wonderful we were as kids and how we would love having children of our own. That lie has earned you a few extra days with your grandkids! And I know you lied because you are laughing, which means you can relate, which means I did these same things to you, hence the proof you lied and wherefore your sentence of babysitting these little hellion rugrats…(Welcome to TG&Y…Thank you for shopping at A&P…I remember, and I am INCREDIBLY sorry! I love you!)

Pray for me...

2009-07-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

The girls have Frank tied so tight we are looking at amputating that pinky finger (it has been without circulation for so long now)! They barely have to blink an eye or hug a toe and Frankie bends to their will. They only had to halfway ask to go to the lake Wed. and he was packing up the boat. They had been begging us ever since Sunday at Cypress Lake to take them back tubing again. So, we took the girls out on Caddo Lake to ride the tube. Well, they had only tubed the one time before and Louis (our friend and his family) went with each kid as they rode the tube. When we got out on the lake and told AC it was her turn she looked at us and then the tube and said, "I'm goin out by myself this time. Ya'll pray for me." and jumped in the water! It was so funny! The kids had a blast. Even Maggie went alone and held on jumping over the wake! And to think Frankie thought he wanted some boys all this time! Frankie took a spin on the tube while Sherre drove the boat! That was hilarious! Sherre was having a hard time getting the boat to plane out so she put the gas on as high as it would go. Well, when it finally planed, she never let off the gas! Frankie went flying across the water at probably 30 miles an hour! He turned about 4 cartwheels before he finally came to rest in the water! I was laughing so hard that I swear my incontinence got the best of me! I can now say that I've seen a man walk on water! hahahah! Anyway! Little man Jacob was putting the love to L at the lake on Sunday at Cypress. We had so much fun with the Thomas's! The last two lake trips have been fun! Little Lake Rugrats...

Psycho...delic...

2009-07-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, I really am worried about my mother. Today, trying to be mother of the year that I always live up to, I decided it was about time that I tye-died t'shirts with my kids. My mother had given them a nice kit for Cristmas or Easter or some other holiday, and I was feeling guilty for just now getting around to it! Now I am understanding why most people that wore these types of shirts were on DRUGS in the 60s! You would have to be before taking on this project and especially taking it on with small children! First of all, it requires an engineering degree to figure out how to wad the shirts up and put rubber bands on to form the base for the patterns. Then the bottles squirt out the dye at rocket speeds like a high powered shotgun that spreads rapidly and permenantly all over the kitchen floor. (That's another thing- DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TIE-DYE INDOORS!) We did have garbage sacks down, but that never contains rocket paint and 4 year olds. Finally, do not wash any clothes that you want to keep the same colors immediately following the tie-dye t'shirt rinse load (See pic of Frankie in his shirt! lol!). Needless to say, I did make t'shirts with the kids today, but my sanity rinsed right down the purple, blue, yellow sink with the remains of the dye! And if my mother EVER gives the girls a crafty kit like that again, beware it could (and will) be regifted to you! I know it's the thought that counts, Mom, but what were you thinking? Love you mom! And God love my little permanently multicolored rugrats!

Hot Stuff!

2009-07-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

These past three weeks have been a whirlwind for our family! Three weeks ago Mom took the two big girls for the week! They went to VBS in Vicksburg at Nonnie's church and did their week of swimming lesson! They had a ball. That same Friday I brought AC's friend over and dropped them both at Warner Tully camp for the weekend. The next Wed. (two days later) we left for Frankie's convention in Lafayette, LA. We returned from that trip Sunday night. Which leads to this week our air conditioning unit condensor motor or something went out. It has been HOT! Luckily, my brother-in-law came to the rescue and ordered us the part we needed to fix it!

I spent 3.5 hours yesterday at the quick care place (oh, if Carrie and Matt could just live closer) because AC got a BAD inner and outer ear infection Thursday. I knew she was sick when she didn't want to swim Thursday night. Well, needless to say, DOCTORS DO NOT WORK on the 3rd of July! (Now I understand that everyone needs a break...HAHA!) I forgot it was the 3rd until both of our doctor's offices didn't answerwhen I tried to call to get an appointment. I asked Frankie why the clinics would be closed... Anyway, we got her a huge bottle of Bactrim and some antibiotic steriod drops and it looks like we are good to go. But, you should have seen the folks at the quick care place! One lady had tatoos from head to toe and had obviously broken her finger. Of course I have ALL THREE KIDS with me and all three kids found that finger fascinating. Then the lady proceeds to tell us how she lives with her daughter and is separated...you get my drift. Another guy I guess had thrown out his back cause everytime he tried to sit down he would scream and cuss and fuss. My kids loved asking loudly what was the matter with him and why he had a trashy mouth, didn't he know better? One lady, and the last I will mention because enough said you know, had both eyes swollen shut and oozing! She just hollered repeatedly for NOONE to touch her that she had had her grandkids all last week and that's what she got for swimming with them and all this week she's had THE pink eye! Not pink eye, THE pink eye, and god bless her soul she did, the worst pink eye case I 'd ever seen!
I need plenty of prayers this week as I will have my niece and nephew all week! God love them and so do I, but I have to manage to outmanipulate 5 children all week this week. Who needs to be a lawyer when you have 5 kids? Well, Aunt Joy has some tricks and trips up her sleeve. (Yes, I am obviously on crack cause I did say TRIPS!) Happy 4th of July and Independence day! I am headed up the hill to eat burgers, cucumbers,watermellon and some peach ice cream fresh from the Louisiana Tech dairy farm (both of my brothers-in-law are showing out this week it seems)! These are God's ways of showing me I will survive! I even walked my 2 miles this morning...on a holiday...that is certainly worth some extra calories! Love you all and GOD BLESS ALL THE RUGRATS this week!

Lake Life

2009-05-31T20:21:00.001-07:00

We took the girls out again today on the lake. They are getting spoiled. We got home from church and laid down while Laura took a nap. After a while (you know, about the time you hit the deep sleep) AC came in to get us to tell us it was time to go to the lake. When Frank asked her what she meant she informed us that anytime we didn't have anything to do we were suppose to go to the lake to take her to swim. She reiterated that her teacher told her to do fun things this summer and not to think about school. She told us that going to the lake was fun and she had to mind her teacher. She also told us that going to the lake was what we had done the last few Sundays after church so we had best not let her down. All of this was said and explained to us as we barely stayed awake after being woken up. Needless to say, you don't have to beg her daddy twice for an excuse to take the boat out and he couldn't disappoint his children on his day off.......... We had a nice afternoon letting the kids swim in Caddo Lake, so maybe her teacher makes a point......That rugrat....

New "I Ate a BUG Club" Members

2009-05-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

The faculty of Vivian Elementary School has SURVIVED another year! We had a Survivor party tonight on the farm for our end-of-the-year faculty party! At the faculty party tonight, 24 people joined the "I Ate a Bug Club" by eating a chocolate covered grasshoppers to earn points for their teams! "I Ate a Bug Club" members will be displaying their new buttons tomorrow at school! The "Red Hot Mamas" was the team with the most points at the end of the party to take home Survivor prizes of rice bags and water bottles! We had a blast! The weather held out nicely and the kids had a blast playing on the farm! I thank everyone for making the trip up to the farm! Grilling out and fellowship at the faculty party is always worth ENDURING the year! Thanks for a GREAT year to my team! Ya'll have been such a blessing!

18 and one to grow old on...

2009-05-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

We were eating with Grandma and Grandpa the other night for Grandpa's birthday. We were all sitting around the table when someone asked, "Well, Grandpa, how old are you now?" AC piped in with "He's 18. Don't cha know it is rude to ask an old person their age. It's always 18, just remember that!" Everyone laughed so hard! So I suppose I owe my friend Lauraleigh who just turned 30 an apology for printing and announcing her age. Lauraleigh, you will be 18 forever, at least in AC's eyes! HAHA! Gotta love my little rugrats!

Flower girls...

2009-05-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

It was so pretty out tonight. It rained today and the cool air was perfect. We got home early for a change due to soccer being cancelled. We were outside playing and the girls decided they wanted to help us with the flower garden. We just planted some bulbs three days ago and they were searching for the flowers. M just looked up at me with the saddest face and said, "Mommie, I am so sorry that your flowers did not grow." I laughed! The girls were so disappointed that they couldn't water the flower beds. I tried to explain that the rain watered them the last few days and that too much water would drown them, but to no avail. They are at such a sweet age!

I'm tired!

2009-04-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Gosh, between soccer four nights a week and weddings and Crawfish Boil and school end of the year stuff and did I mention soccer four nights a week, I am EXHAUSTED! I swear, I could go to bed at like 6 p.m. and still be tired the next morning. Of course, I wouldn't really ever be able to go to bed at 6p.m. because, gosh forbid, we have soccer and life on speed right now! I don't think we have gotten home before 8 o'clock in the last two weeks. Plus, I think we have at least 3 VBS's planned for June! My girls are doing well, though. L has four new canines and AC still has all "A's". M has gotten a smiley face (being good) every day the last few days at daycare and all is well with the dogs. I think we might make it! Anyway, to all my friends who feel deserted, I promise I still love you and think about you all the time, but you just rank right below the kids (or at least their stuff made it to the calendar before yours did)! HAHA! I think I have a weekend in July that I am free to have an adult night! Now, don't go filling up your July calendars to pay me back for my April/May/June one! Is anyone feeling my pain? Did I mention field day is coming up...These BUSY rugrats, I swear!

Soccer Sistas!

2009-04-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Today AC had a soccer game. She was playing midfield and made a kick or two! All of a sudden I look up and she is hugging a girl from the other team...in the middle of the game...in the middle of the field...as the ball goes past her. It turns out one of the girls from her class is on the Twisters team that our Blue Angels were playing against today. When they figured out they knew each other they were no longer interested in soccer. They hugged and had to holler to show their mommies that they had a friend on other team, again... in the middle of the game... as the ball goes past! Too sweet, and too funny! Neither team scored a goal, so I guess they both went home big winners in soccer and in friendship!

Mom of the year....NOT!

2009-04-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Remember telling everyone "NOT" after everything you said. Ok, well you're too young then. Anyway. On Wednesday, I forgot AC's piano books for her 4:00 lesson and remembered that I forgot them at 3:35. Seeing as I live about 15 min. from Vivian (and still had to pick up AC), you do the math. So anyway, I ran into the GAP (God's Awesome Place afterschool tutoring and fun) and starting rushing AC out the door telling her,"Oh, gosh, AC, please hurry. We left your piano books, and we need to run all the way home grab them and TRY to get back in time to even have a lesson. Please hurry. Where is your bookbag?"...and so on. AC just made that confused crazy look that she gives me and said calmly, "Mom, It's Wednesday. Piano is on Thursday." Well, crap. Anyway, not five minutes later we were at the pharmacy and AC was digging through my purse looking for stuff to do. She said, "Mom, why are all these little bags of cookies in your purse?" And I replied, "Oh, yeah, those are from the bake sale lady at the GAP. I forgot to bake anything, and I forgot to go work the bake sale. I felt really bad for forgetting, so I just bought a bunch of the leftover cookies. I am the best mom ever!" In return I got, "You know you're not really." It really may be time for the strattera. That rugrat!

Easter

2009-04-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, the fun of Easter-dresses, eggs, church, early morning hunts and baskets-my girls were in Easter heaven! Mom and Dad spent the night with us after returning from GWL and helped out the Easter Bunny and helped us hunt eggs before dressing us all and shipping us off to church(the girls started with pretty bows in their hair-for about 5 whole mins)! They headed on home to Vicksburg. Here are some cute pics of the girls on Easter. It is sometimes hard to remember that Easter is about so much more than eggs and easter bunnies. I love going to church on Easter Sunday and sharing the true meaning of Easter with my girls!

Great Wolf Lodge-Grapevine, TX

2009-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

For Easter we took the girls with my parents to Great Wolf Lodge. We all had the best time. The kids swam like little fish! They had so much fun stuff to do in the waterpark and no sunscreen or warm sunshine required! We had a ball! The kids really loved getting to spend time with Nonnie and Boppie and Aunt KK! Here are some cute pics of the trip!

Girls, Girls, Girls...

2009-04-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

I feel like that is all I say nowadays. Girls, Girls, Girls... every five minutes, I mean seriously. They are constantly getting into things, whining, running around like wild banchees, or something. The girls gave L some M&M's, but didn't wipe her hands off like I asked them to, so L proceeded to wipe them off on the side of my bed. Gross, I know. Nothin' like a chocolate rainbow to grace you when you pull back the sheets! Today, they were eating chips in the living room, like they were not suppose to, and got into a fight as to who was to get the next handful. You can imagine what the floor looked like afterwards! Fun, Fun! I am finding easter candy paper stuffed into the most imaginative places like the toilet paper roller- while on the roller.... That had to have taken more time than just throwing it away would have...And GOD FORBID you ask them to pick up ANYTHING, the whining is outragous. Needless to say, they have both been spanked soundly (Frankie laughs...well, at least patted soundly) and sent to bed. Anyone ever read the book Five Minutes Peace? That is so me. Buy it for your kids! I also recommend the book I Ain't Gonna Paint No More. Not that my children follow the ideology when next to say the side of the dresser drawers or the wall or something, but nevertheless, the concept is couragous. Economic stock purchasing suggestion: Magic Erasers! My rugrats, I swear!

Multiple meaning words......

2009-04-06T12:15:00.001-07:00

Thought I would share a test response from last Friday! Enough said on this one! ( We teach 6 year olds!) At least he did manage a capital letter and a period, and you can't say it didn't make sense. (Yes, he got credit for the answer!) HAHAHA!

Redbud Parade

2009-04-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

My girls were in the Redbud Parade a week or two ago. I thought I would share some of their pics with you! They were on the 50's float. The theme was "Redbud Rocks". We rock and rolled and yes, I had to ride the float, too! Lucky me! Ann used to always ride with the girls in the parade! Boy did I miss her that Saturday! I know she was smiling down! Her girls were precious (and that is not a mom's biased opinion). HAHA! My rugrats rocked!

Marriage and children...

2009-04-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

As we approach summer every year I look back and reflect on the last nine years. On August 5th, I will have been married for nine years. Now that may not seem like long for you married for forever grandmas and grandpas out there, but to a 29 year old that is is third of a lifetime. I tell him all the time that I wouldn't trade him for the world (...I would only trade the kids to a homeless person after an hour with them at Wal-mart in the late afternoon). We are doing the whole "almost 3-0" stuff like increasing our life insurance and buying a run down boat to toodle around the lake in with the kids (see above pics). Of course I already explained the whole birthdays thing in a previous blog so I won't go into that, but geez, like my students say, "you are WAY OLD, Mrs. Reger!" Yet, I am still young. I look at AC all the time and say, "7 year old, who are you and where did you come from"? (And that is not because she used a permanent marker to do her math homework sheet and it bled through on the kitchen counter...) My children are growing like weeds, which most of the time is WONDERFUL, because I REALLY hate dirty diapers. I think that is why I love three year olds best- they are pretty much potty trained, but lack the Hannah Montana/ HSM attitude! You should see the dramatics the kids can put on when asked to help with laundry or make their bed or such. (Kid throwing herself against the couch... "But mom, I am having growing pains in my leg...I hurt my toe...My head hurts...I am hungry..." The list goes on. It is hysterical up until they get a spanking for wallering all over the living room.) Amazing how spankings clear all sorts of health woes nowadays! Anyway, in my "old age" I am coming to appreciate more, like my mother and father for putting up with me and Temae for giving me books to read to take me away from it all. I have never particularly LIKED living way out here on a farm, but the food is delicious (we plant corn, all sorts of veges,and watermelons and Sherre's muskidine(not how you spell it-how you say it) wine and jam is the best!) and there is nothing like being able to send your kids outside to play and watching them romp with the dogs and holler about how their HERO dog, Charter, scares the HOGS away. You just would miss out on those stories if you lived anywhere else(...I know, no comment necessary and yes, I did say HOGS. For real, I almost wrecked the other night coming home trying to dodge the hog litter (Do hogs/pigs run in litters?) crossing the road. They are staying mostly on the new pipeline that has been cut about two miles from our house, so not to worry, but they are the biggest, meanest looking, black hogs I have ever seen! I bet they would make the best bacon!) Anyway, overall I am busy and happy, and I might have a free day to myself in maybe, say 25 years... Brings a much greater meaning to the song Taylor sang at my wedding, "Grow Old Along with Me". Gotta love my rugrats!

Sibling Rivalry!

2009-03-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

I know I never fought with my sisters when I was young (and I know Jena will back me on this one! HAHA!). But I am telling you, Sun. morning AC and M had it out on the playroom floor! All I heard was the rucus of little girl screams followed by a baby's belly laugh! I went running into the playroom to find AC and M pulling hair and punching noses all the while L is standing to the side open mouth belly laughing! The whole scene was so funny!

That same morning, AC opened a new box of Ritz Bitz and proceed to leave them on the edge of the table so that L could grab them and dump them ALL OVER THE KITCHEN FLOOR. When I got in there, there was a small zip lock bag half full on the counter. I asked AC where those had come from. She told me that she, "was able to save the ones that landed on top of the other ones, but don't worry she left the ones down there that had touched the nasty floor"!!!! Well, the honesty is promising, but the MESS...! Those rugrats, I swear!

I have a new "teacher" website!

2009-03-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

I know ya'll are all just rushing to see my new teacher website! HAHA! It can be found at http://teacherweb.com/LA/VivianElementaryMiddleMagnet/MrsReger/apt2.stm when you have the time! I haven't added photos, etc. yet, but they are coming!

I had a very "prosperous" day today. My mom told me she has been praying for me to be prosperous both monetarily and otherwise! Well, her prayers were answered in the way of $500 dollars today! I was chosen to receive a $500 dollar grant to buy books for my classroom! I can't wait to tell my students tomorrow! I also got some writing screening grades back that were just fantastic that my students took on Monday! I am so proud of them! I think you need to hear these things every now and again to keep you waking up each morning!

I am super excited about it being HAT day tomorrow! I don't have to get up early and shower because we are allowed to wear hats all day! You are smiling because you know JUST what I am talking about! (Don't worry, I am still going to bathe... and brush my teeth... You know, the ESSENTIALS! But just that...) I love a lazy, late day!

L fell and busted her nose! Even her eyes are purple right now! I was so glad it happened at the daycare! I think they would have called child custody on me without proof on this one! She banged it up just right on the ridge of her nose. I will try to post a pic!

My kids are doing so well lately! I am so proud of them! They didn't even scream much when the tiny country mouse scurried around in the van the other morning! Yes, I swear, A MOUSE! I about had a heart attack driving down the road. AC was reassuring, saying, "Don't worry, Mom. It's just a tiny thing. I don't think he can EAT cha! He might bite the mess out of ya, though". (Dear lord, am I raising my kids on a farm or what? I just hope they turn out alright in the end!) Anyway, I was late getting AC to the bus, so I had to keep driving. I was yelling, "SHoo! Shoo!" as if the mouse could understand English, and trying to drive with the unoccupied leg lifted up in my seat! Oh, mom, I know! When I got AC on the bus, I grabbed my gradebook, opened EVERY door on the van and shooooed him out! M, of course, wanted to keep him to show her teacher! Every respectable parent in the daycare knew about mousey before I had even finished dropping the little ones off! That little rugrat, I swear, and I do mean M on this one (the child, not the mouse)!

Smelly Balls!

2009-03-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

That title got you reading, didn't it! HAHA! Today I was shopping at the Boardwalk (with all three kids, mind you, and yes, I know I am crazy)! When we were done purchasing Easter shoes at Stride Rite for all of the girls and were walking out of the store, AC yells out, "Mom, are we going to Academy Sports? It smells like balls, and I love the way balls smell!" (Of course, she meant the basketballs, soccer balls, etc. I just hope the other fifty shoppers around us understood that! I saw many a smiling face!)
While we were eating at the Cheesecake Bistro (also at the Boardwalk, also with three kids...) I mistakingly, without thinking, put ketchup on L's plate. She had a fine time sqeezing and spreading before my mom noticed! Yet here again, I get the mother of the year award! I also let M wear capri's today in 40 degree weather to avoid a morning meltdown! She did wear a turtleneck, sweater, and a coat if that makes it any better.
AC threw a nice little tantrum in Academy Sports because I wouldn't buy her shin socks for soccer. (She already has nice shin guards and only needed the socks, and of course the shin socks with built in shin guards are like $10 versus $4 for a two pack of the reg. socks. I know that sounds so chinchy of me, but it all adds up when they have to have the practice outfits (plural), game shorts, game socks, practice socks (different color from game socks), new ball, new cleats, new bag to fit it all in, etc., because of course none of her stuff from last season still works...it all adds up, believe me!) Of course, "EVERYBODY" else on her team (one girl, who is a snob that AC doesn't even like anyway) has shin socks and AC doesn't. I really thought tantrums ran out at say 5 yrs., but NOOOO. I am seeing now that they NEVER are going to end, they simply change to reflect the supposed need of the child. Lord, help me! Anyway, she now has four pairs of nice new soccer socks for the same price she could have had one pair of shin socks. I stuck to my guns and played the "You only wear them one season, and they have to be passed down to your sisters" bit! HAHA~
While we were in the dressing room at Academy, someone stole our buggy. Mind you, as FUN as it is shopping with three kids in tow it is much less fun to do it without a buggy to put the baby in and to have to find all the stuff twice. So to the idiot fool that took our buggy and made me have to gather all of the stuff we had with us and go back to the front of the store with the kids and do all of our other shopping over, may your conscience keep you awake at night. I really am praying for you, I swear, I just hope for your sake it is for you to go to the right place!
Last, but not least, on shopping with the kids, the girls have learned a new and horrible song from another girl on AC's bus. It goes like this, "Hey boys, whatcha doin' in tha ittey bittey car? I tell ya whatcha should be doin' Shut up and drive, drive, drive..." I have not heard the actual song, but I heard it at about 9000 decibals all over the Boardwalk today. How EMBARRASING! You know the other shoppers were thinking, "That's probably the trashy kid who taught the song to my kid on the bus." I was just thinking it was WAY better than the "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" that they had been singing after watching the chipmunks. I wonder how my preacher is going to like the new song tomorrow? These rugrats, I swear!

Risk- in this economy!

2009-03-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

In this economy, I am forced to examine some of the risks I have taken in life, albeit very few, but wow! Look at all I have gain over the last few years, even if old Edward Jones says otherwise! Someone once asked me to define risk in an interview. Although Webster’s defines the word using negative connotations, I view the word otherwise. I have always defined risk as an avenue for change, albeit, change can be positive or negative, but no change can occur without an initial investment. Risk can be calculated in all relationships- financial, familial, friendly, and professional. Some risks taken are apt to turn south quickly and end with an undesirable whack to the posterior end. Some risks immediately skyrocket leaving the investor reeling and eager for future investment situations to arise, no matter the risk. Yet, all carry the uncertain risk of leaving the investor straddling the side of the highest glass suspension bridge over a thousand foot drop. The thrill of taking the risk is invigorating and educating, but the consequences could be dire. Do you take the risk? Maybe I’m not an altogether risk-taker so to speak, but I can tell you, I love the view! I would hate to define life without risk. Without taking that trip to the mountains or investing the inheritance in the stock market, I don’t think life would be the same. I think we have to put ourselves out there, exposed, on the middle of the bridge, to really know if we have lived in life. I know we all would make certain changes in our lives, but I am talking about the big things that we aren’t quite ready for, but we jump out and do them anyway. I can say that I would never have invested money in the stock market and then started a Masters degree and had a third baby in this economy if I were not a risk taker. Don’t get me wrong, the amout we invested may not be much to you, but to a policeman’s wife whose profession is teaching, that was the largest chunk of change we were going to see without winning the lottery. (Now I do not calculate the lottery into my avenue of change theory. Think about it, the lottery is a business, and someone besides me is ultimately profiting! So, I do not recommend the lottery for adding your element of risk.) Anyway, if you are ever asked about risk and negative thoughts come to mind, I think you must rethink where risk can take you and not negate the potential positive rewards that risk can bring. So, maybe Webster is right in that risk defined is all encompassing of the negative that can happen, but why sip with the glass half empty, you know what I mean?

Powdered Hair!

2009-03-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I saw the best tip on the Today show or one of those morning shows as I was flipping to find cartoons for my then two year old. If you don’t have time to wash your hair, just put a little baby powder in it to soak up the oil, brush it in, and Viola, you are ready to roll! This tip really is fascinatingly wonderful for moms of multiple children! Especially on Sunday mornings! Last Sunday, I decided I would try out the powdered method seeing as I was down to approximately two and a half minutes for getting me dressed after getting all the kids washed and dressed approximately three times each, for different reasons! We made it to church only the usual fifteen minutes late, and afterwards I received the first compliment I had gotten in probably five years from a man other than my husband! Mr. Tom Tebby, God bless him, greeted me with a side hug and said, “What a lovely fragrance! Is it a new one, I can’t quite recall what scent it reminds me of?” I proudly turned and said, “Baby powder, they are putting it everywhere nowadays!” There is hope, ladies!! We’ve still got it!

Mom has the flu!

2009-03-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is the poem I wrote to prove that Mom's cannot ever be sick, even when they are sick!

MOM HAS THE FLU
By: Joy Reger

(As mom makes soup on the stove and blows her red nose)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom washes dishes, coughing)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom brings in medicine and thermometer, with flushed cheeks)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom puts a cold rag on the child’s head and periodically wipes her own head)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom changes bed sheets after her child has an accident, rubbing her own sore shoulder muscles)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom does laundry, sneezing)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom reads to sick child, wiping both noses)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom rocks the sick child to sleep, snoozing with her)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom picks up older child off the bus and realizes that child is sick, too)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom starts a movie for the sick children, coughing into her elbow)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As mom sprawls out on the couch exhausted as Dad walks through the door)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.

(As Dad puts a cold rag on mom’s head and all the sick children are piled in the bed with her)
Mommy, I thought you had the flu?
I do.
But someone has to take care of you!
I am always your mommy- even when I have the flu.

God's picture of Disney World!

2009-03-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

The girls got a postcard from baby Frankie that he sent them from his Make-a-Wish trip to Disney. The front of the postcard showed an aerial view of the entire park. Maggie piped up, excitedly saying, "Daddy, God took that picture. That picture was taken from about where Jesus lives!" So cute! (I hope that Disney realizes God is not only watching but taking pictures as well! ...especially certain weeks they promote certain things...)

Throw me something, Mister!

2009-02-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

You can't live in Louisiana and not love Mardi Gras! We stood out in the cool air for four hours on Sat. waiting to catch some trinkets! The girls had a blast playing in the street with the other kids! I didn't get a picture, but we saw the most amazing motorized ice chest carrying some kids and their dad. It was actually two ice chests with one pulling the other. It was fabulous! I know, I really needed to have gotten a picture of that one! M had a blast calling for beads from Brandon's shoulders. She was kissing his head and dropping all her beads down the back of his shirt! For some reason he didn't want to hold her for long! Amanda and M were being so silly together! Keegan and AC were screaming and jumping up and down! They each got a bunch of cups and beads! Even Laura got beads handed to her from the Queen of Centaur! She was intrigued by all the lights and sounds! Keeping anything on her feet was another story. She spent all day relieving her feet of socks! We had a blast! Maybe one year everyone will come down and we can park a camper downtown and spend the day! HAHA! Anyway, Happy Fat Tuesday to you all!

Polar Plunge 2009 Update

2009-02-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am officially not the only crazy person in my family, and people in the south are not the only ones that do silly things for money...hahah! Here's what my Aunt Sharon from Annandale, VA, sent me this week via email... I love ya'll!

"We all participated in the Polar Plunge which is a goofy
fund-raiser for special olympics. The idea is to dress up
like a nut and run into the ocean in February!!! It was such
a beautiful day, but the water was a bit nippy....a balmy
38 degrees! But it was great fun and the entire group of
"plungers' raised over $900,000 for special olympics...not
bad for an economy that's pretty awful right now. Our team
was the Hog-sicles and it was me, Kathy, our nephew
David (Robbie had to "conveniently" work that day) and the
boys girlfriends, Sara and Jessica. Kathy's husband, Rich
was our official photographer. "

My Student- Future pimp...??? Never...

2009-02-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

My six year old first grade student walked in yesterday exclaiming, "Mrs. Reger, don't panic! Your flowers are coming!" "My flowers, huh?" I asked him! "Yeah, don't you know that I have to give a flower to all my women on Valentine's Day, it just ain't right not to, but my momma had to go pick them up." "All your women, of course, huh... go sit and get busy on your journal," I replied. An hour later my principle comes in carrying a bouquet of roses and annouces they are to be given one to each girl including the teacher! So my little man jumps up and says, "Uh, Mrs. Tolbert, I always tell my momma to bring some extras in case I forgot a woman, so you just hold on and let me count to see, I know I have got one for you." (I am trying so hard not to laugh!!!) Of course he had an extra, so he handed her the rose and said, "Now, I'm gonna need a hug to go with that. You can't (pronouced Kain't) give a woman a flower without at least getting a hug!" My ever so sweet, penecostal principal looked pale, but mustered through with a sweet hug and a beautiful rose! (I am definitely laughing out loud now!! Oh, if his daddy could only read this blog...) Thank you to my sweet student for his thoughtfulness~

Dr.'s are NOT geniuses!

2009-02-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

AC had an eye dr. appt. the other day! When they called her back, she settled into the chair to wait on the doctor to come in the room. She suddenly looked at Frank and said, "Daddy, that sign is so stupid." Frankie read the sign, "Please turn off cell phones before entering!" "Daddy, doesn't the doctor know that if you are already in the room reading the sign it is too late to turn off the cell phone BEFORE entering? That is so dumb. I need to tell my doctor that the sign needs to be hung out in the waiting room." She did have a point. (My daughter, the genius...)

Messy Life!

2009-02-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

I mean literal mess this time! As you can see, L had a fine time emptying the tissue box yesterday and my big girls unloaded a ziplock bag of shredded cheese on the dining room table! What fun! I forgot to take a picture of the MOON SAND explosion ALL OVER the bathroom, and no that is not an exaggeration. There was not a half of a centimeter left uncovered in the girls bathroom! (If you have not had the opportunity to buy your children Moon Sand, now is the time. I believe ALL FAMILIES should have to experience this fun! For those of you with grandkids and neices and nephews, I highly recommend this outragously messy toy!) Moon sand is the consistency of wet sand. It won't dry out. It also won't suck up in a vacuum cleaner, which means that you must use wet rags. Yes, we tried the broom to no avail. The sand stuck to the broom and hence spread the mess everytime you moved the broom! Oh, yes! That was the mess to capture for eternity on digital camera and I was too mad to think of taking pictures. Oh well! So goes! I guess it was only a tad worse than the hot cheetos that are now ground into the seats and floor of the back of my van...

I received a FABULOUS card in the mail from Sara! A friend of mine was over with her son and was MOST IMPRESSED with me getting mail from TURKEY! You really have to understand how far out we live to understand the significance of life outside of the Village of Rodessa! Sara, I do love you dearly, and miss you terribly. I would say come and see me next time you are passing through, but I would have to say passing through the UNITED STATES! I know you are having fun! By the way, what does Yeni Yilda...ozgurlugun tadini cikarmaya devam mean? I hope it is something that is not too racy for me to be listing on my blog! HAHA! I sincerely loved my card and feel like the most horrible friend in the world for not being able to call or to have written to you before now! Enjoy your fun time halfway around the world and know that you have all the time in the world for life, so living it now is best! Be careful, and have a drink for me! (Do they have good drinks over there? Do share! Oh, and the egg thing was way funny! It sounded like something these elderly country folks around here would do!)

AC is taking piano lessons now. She is learning the half and whole notes and her first two fingers! We are so proud of her! She really likes taking lessons and practices, OFTEN...as in every day... If I can ever figure out how to put sound on this thing I will record her practicing so that you can enjoy the hour of it we enjoy daily! No, we really are proud of her and are glad she is enjoying it!

I hope all is well and messy in your own lives! Mine may need a bath, but I wouldn't trade it for the world... well, maybe a weekend in Turkey...

Time, way too little of it!

2009-01-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

We went to eat at a fabulous restaurant called Cantina Loredo and went to see Billy Washington at the Funny Bone yesterday! It was so fabulous to go out with friends! The girls did their part to run off the babysitter by making her watch like five Shirley Temple movies in a row and read no less than 400 books! I am starting to think the babysitter is loved more than me! I certainly love her, why shouldn't the kids!

I have really enjoyed my kids lately. I don't know if it is because I am appreciating my time with them because there is so little of it... They seem to be aging so gracefully. It is so fun to watch L climbing into little cabinets and "hiding" behind doors and in corners (pic above). The stories that M tells are often outragous and ALWAYS funny! AC is so serious and cute now. You can no longer trick her by spelling words and telling her the wrong time to get her into bed a bit early. It has really been neat to have them spread out and to see each of them in action while being able to remember the others doing those exact same things!

Don't you hate finding more "Christmas" all over the house after you have packed it all up and put it in the attic? We have a new pile in the kitchen of things to add to the box next time we are up in the attic, such as the stocking holders, we packed up the stockings, but not the holders! I keep finding stuff as I dust!

I am really excited about this new year! I try to look at everything with positive dreams attached, meaning that I think I can do it all again and better and more this year and I can't wait to get started! I love my family so much. I think that losing some very precious people in my life the last two years has taught me to really value the love that is growing around me everyday. So to all of my family and friends that we don't get to see and to those we do, know that I love you forever and always in the biggest way possible and it could only be better if I could hold your hand and tell you that in person! Happy New Year from the funny farm!

Go Dawgs!

2008-12-29T18:40:00.001-08:00

Yes, we do spell dogs d-a-w-g-s! Way to go Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 2008 Indy Bowl Champs! We had so much fun at the Independence Bowl yesterday! Frank took me to Macaroni Grill to eat and then off to tailgating with the DX's! I should have known the restaurant was to repay me for the night to come! HAHA! The DX alumni guys made the trip to the game and hence set up tailgaiting in a Uhaul! I swear! They said that it doubled as a port-o-potty! I'm telling you they were closing each other in the back long enough for each of them to pee in a cup! How funny! One girl, a little tipsy of course, started to tell me a story when I noticed her open the wine bottle she was carrying to pour it into the red plastic Hefty cup she was carrying in her other hand! When I asked her why she was bothering with the cup if she was going to carry the bottle around anyway, she responded, "Oh, that would be so trashy!" "Oh, definitely," I told her! How hilarious! The whole night was just a blast! One guy had the neatest grill thing. It is called a "cajun oven". Google it!

Today, AC backed up and started to dance and rub her booty on Frankie's leg! "Daddy, I am rubbing poopoo on you like Mommie does when she dances with you!" Yes, I will have to watch my trashy dancing in the privacy of my own home with my husband from now on! Mom's always say they have eyes in the backs of their heads, but I swear that attribute is definitely genetic with my children. They are constantly showing signs of seeing what they never could have seen! HAHA!

I know after reading this blog that you are all wondering about our sanity around here (and I agree it is waning!) But we are generally fairly reasonably normal! We had a fun Christmas with both sides of the family! We also got to go to my cousin, Brent's, GRADUATION from LSUS! I am so proud of you, Brent!

The girls got a trampoline from Santa. His elf (Frankie) LOVED staying up until 2am putting that one together! The kids have not gotten off the thing though! Best babysitting ever!

And thank you for ALL of the birthday wishes! Although, I regret to announce that this will indeed be my final birthday! (No, I am not dying, silly!) I just refuse to take that giant leap to geriatrics! 29 is old enough for forever! So from now on I will be 29, not a day younger or older!

Gorden had four cows get out the other night. It cost him $400 to hire a cowboy to go wrangle them all up for him. He was over here and couldn't get to the cows. Turned out to be one expensive Christmas for him, but moreover, I am totally in the wrong profession. $400 for guiding a couple of cows back into the fence. I am sure it is harder than it looks, but dang!

NW Louisiana Wedding Registry suggestions!

2008-12-19T20:38:00.001-08:00

Ok, you will NEVER believe this one, but I swear it is true as well! I was discussing my fabulous entrepeneural plans for community improvement for Vivian with my team members today! I mentioned that the town could benefit from a small wedding shop with a gift shop for registries! "OH, NO!" they replied! "Vivian already supports the best wedding registry shop! Oh, yeah! ALL the brides register there!" Of course I asked, "Where? I can't wait to check it out! I love new little specialty stores!" To this they answered, "Well, the hardware store, of course, they have all kinds of great stuff there. They have a "gifts" section with apple plates and all sorts!" I swear that I did not make this up!
In case any of my students are related to the super nice folks that run the hardware store, do not fear! My husband supports your store grandly! Remember, I can only pick because I live in RODESSA. YOU should feel sorry for ME!

The best Christmas presents!

2008-12-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

I was laughing so hard today! Ok, as a teacher, I would like to let everyone know that school supplies, sweet treats, and gift cards all are much appreciated teacher gifts at Christmas. On the other hand, nighties are on a whole "nuther" level! And YES, my team teacher did receive a nightie from one of students today! (Well, I never! I know.) I did receive some deoderant as a gift from a sweet student today! In her note she said something to the effect of the "secret" of Christmas! Whew! I have to admit I was nervous there for a minute! I do bathe daily! I promise! She luckily gave all of my team the same fabulous gift, so that eased my worries as well! I ain't the only stanky fool at school! It was a funny and USEFUL gift! HAHA! And I do love my students! Thanks for all of the fabulous gifts!

Lovely Country Homeplace

2008-12-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd share this lovely homeplace in our community! What a fabulous idea to put up the skirting! Frank and I are taking notes for when we upgrade in our retirement!

Little Helper Elf

2008-12-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Our tree really does look rediculous this year! We only have ornaments on the top half to start with and now we can't leave the tree skirt under the tree because L keeps taking it! I guess it is soft and cuddly enough because we keep finding her down the hall napping in it! HAHA! So cute! Christmas this year has been SO busy, but so fun now that the girls are older! They are so funny about having just the right thing to wear in their programs and telling us that we are suppose to just "spend time with family for Christmas", except that that means they want something right then, if you know what I mean! They loved their swimming party the other night! Ann Cherie told me she was just "having the party of the life" after we joked with her about everyone showing up. Of course she meant party of the year! HAHA! For her to even think like that is so cute! I hope your Christmas season is just as busy, because I just think the stress in some ways has added to the fun!

Birthday Cake Fiascos!

2008-12-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

I just thought that all should know to NEVER trust the birthday cake with a three to be four year old! I swear I just ran to the bathroom for less than a minute! Just look what she did to the cake MINUTES, and I do mean mere MINUTES before it was to be served! Luckily, it was just family eating this one! Can you believe the mess! Lovely! Well, Happy Birthday to M anyway! Oh, and Mom, I did not leave her with a knife! Didn't you know she "was a big girl,and dot a tife and helped Momma icin' the take!" I'm not THAT bad of a mom, really, I knew what you were thinking! I also get the mother of the year award for forgetting to order the birthday cakes for their birthday party last Friday night. Seriously, I totally did not have them a cake! Nevertheless, Brookshires, we now know, makes a really great cake and will put your kid's name on it in less than a minute! How fabulous, huh! (Said Sarcastically...) Really, I am the WORST mother of the year!

My Christmas Angel

2008-12-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

I know I have been fussy this week, and yes, all of those things happened THIS WEEK! I have had quite a week, but tonight my luck changed at the local mall(Wal-Mart). I was shopping for stuff to decorate my candy canes to turn them into reindeer and stuff for the girls school parties and their gift exchanges, etc. When I went to check out I decided to get in the nicotine aisle for it looked shortest (I have terrible luck with this!) It happens to be aisle 7! I started talking to the lady checking out with her two buggies full of yarn (which due to the paper around the yarn they were not scanning so easily!) I told her my mom crochets and she is always carrying her bag of yarn around and so on for a while! Then the guy between us spoke up about how his grandmother quilts and so on. The guy behind me finally chimed in and soon enough we were all talking about all sorts of things. Well, when the guy in front of me finished checking out his total was about $21.00 worth of stuff and he used his gift card so I thought he probably had a couple of dollars left because it had probably been a $25 dollar card. He turned and handed me the card and said, "Merry Christmas, you can spend the rest!" I was gracious and appreciative and said so and wished him merriment as well! He headed on his way, and I started to check out. My order came to $89-90 so I swiped the what I thought to be $3 gift card and the lady handed me the receipt and said, "Oh, what a blessing! I am so glad that I am your cashier tonight because I hear about this happening but I have never been working!" I said, "WHAT, it paid for ALL of it? OMG!" I was in shock. She continued to show me how there was about $10 left on the card and the guy behind me had probably $8 worth of stuff in his hand so I told him to finish out the card because I didn't feel like it was my money to keep! OMG! I still cannot believe this happened to me. So I guess the moral of the story brings back Ann's oft said words of, "Be kind to everyone because you never know when you might meet an angel!" I know we all need to pay it forward this holiday season. I do love the song that asks the question of Mary, "What was it like to kiss the face of God?" I feel like I do everytime I kiss my babies! My kids and my crazy life are truly blessings and maybe it simply took my angel to make me stop and see my crazy life in this way! Pray for us to survive the 30 seven year olds that are coming to AC's party tomorrow! Remember the reason for the season. Hope life is a party on your side of the island!

PooPoo Problems Cont.

2008-12-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, it seriously is not my week! I got up this morning 15 mins late. I had forgotten to set out my clothes, and anyone who even remotely knows me knows I do not iron ahead of time. So I am ironing my clothes as fast I as possiblely can move and throwing them on as I get them ironed. About the time I get my pants buttoned and am ironing my shirt, suddenly I got a gassy feeling and then- WHAM! I pooped all in my pants! Needless to say it was awful. It was stinky and EVERYWHERE! Luckily I had not quite gotten to putting my shoes on. Now, I had to go clean up and start the entire process over again. Well, we made it to school on time, but by the skin of our teeth. I am really wondering what my principal values more- promptness or tidyness, because I certainly was not both of those! Prompt I was, but the second pair of pants didn't get ironed! Oh well! I was just excited that there was a clean pair in there in the pile on the couch that I could put on! (Go ahead and laugh about my laundry! You know your pile is staring you in the face!) I think my students thought it was some new fashion statement. Seriously, I have heard of older women having these issues. I am only 28 years old (I can claim it for a few more days!) Is this type of bodily function degeneration common AT MY AGE? I know I must have inherited the irritable bowel syndrome. Too bad they don't make disability for that! HAHA!

No such thing as a free lunch!

2008-12-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

You all know my dad is an economist and he would say this to us everytime he saw a good used car salesman ad... HAHA! Tonight we went to eat at Pizza Hut- not so great on the waistline, but oh, the kids HAD to eat pizza tonight or death was eminent. And seeing as I just paid out the posterior for their birthday party on Friday night, we could not allow them to expire. When our food was being brought out to us the waitress tripped and the cup of steaming hot red sauce was splattered ALL OVER US! For real, all down all of our clothes, in our hair, on our plates, all over the baby chair, EVERYWHERE! The baby was screaming! The sauce burnt her arm all down one side! M was complaining for like forever about how her shirt was red and wet and uncomfortable... needless to say the meal was free! Except for the burn part, Frankie is now trying to think up good ways to trip (yeah, not tip) the waitress in order to keep the meal free next time! He did hint at teaching M just the right moment to stand up! HAHA!

I would like to thank our local mall (Wal-Mart) for donating 600 candy canes to our first grade fundraiser! Frankie said we are selling candy grams to try to make a poor teacher a dollar! HAHA! Or save a poor game warden one, because he knows I would have bought them anyway! HAHA! I am so very appreciative though to both the store and my FABULOUS parent who shall remain anonymous that manages there! You are both wonderful! Thank you for contributing so much to our school and supporting us in every way possible every time I ask! (And believe me, I know I ask a whole lot! Speaking of, next time you are out and about, you know our class is really in need of.... JUST KIDDING!)

Showtime

2008-12-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

Frankie took the girls to his office christmas party today after taking them for their immunizations figuring he was in for a whiny treat. The girls decided to surprise him and came in and took a quiet seat. One of the biologists that works for the dept was not so lucky with his little "princess" and before Frankie could stop her M yelled out, "Daddy, that little girl is just throwing her a fit!" Everyone in the room chuckled except Frankie and the biologist of course! HAHAH!

AC and I were in the mall (walmart) the other day when a little old lady (probably 85) in a wheelchair came by and asked me to help her with a cake mix on the top shelf. AC asked me after that how old the lady was and of course I taught her the proper southern belle rule that you do not ever ask a lady her age just assume it is 18. She then proceeded to tell me that the lady was not 18 she was probably almost thirty because she looked a little bit older than me and I am almost 30 and I have been in a wheelchair! So now I am officially the old parent I suppose. I wonder how soon I will hear, "Mom, you are really wearing that? OMG, please!" Kids, they'll kill you, if not in body in mind!

Also, if you have not already then don't buy Alvin and the Chipmunks the movie! It is quite embarrassing to be in the middle of the mall (walmart) having your two older kids chanting (at the top of their lungs, no less) "Bow chicka wow wow" (yes, the porn theme) while the baby is swaying and grinning at all the noise! Greetings from the farm!

PooPoo Problems

2008-12-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have been told to add to the things to do list below that I have been going to PT three times a week for this silly ankle! It is doing so well!

Anyway, on to the topic of importance for the day! This morning I was getting all of the kids and myself ready to head to Ruston for a birthday party! I had my shower and thought the kids were dressed when I realized I hadn't seen or heard the littlest one in a minute or two (they crawl away so fast!) I sent Ann Cherie to help me on the search and immediately I hear, "Mom, you better get in here!" Well, needless to say, M had just gone potty and failed to flush or close the bathroom door. Seeing that babies have a sixth sense when it comes to knowing that there is an adventure door opened that is otherwise always closed, L ventured in to play in the poo in the potty. "Not to mention that she could have drown"- as Nonnie adds, she was busily squishing a big ole poopoo ball in her hands with dirty water down her shirt (very happily, mind you!) Naturally, feeling like the WORST mother in the world, I jerked her up, turning on the bathtub water and yanking off her clothes as quickly as possible. I suddenly jerked off her diaper as I felt something quishy touch my body and slung poopoo in a line across the tub! She had poo'd in her diaper as well and not knowing, I had jerked it off of her only to spread the mess! Meanwhile the other girls are standing directly behind me hollering, "Mom, there is poopoo on L's face. Mom, there is poopoo on the rug. Mom, there is poopoo on the tub. Mom, there is poopoo in the tub. Mom, the water is about to reach the poopoo. Mom, the water just got the poopoo....."(I know you get my drift, right!) It was a nightmare! I was already late to meet Frankie for lunch to be able to head to Ruston and now this! Now, I am sad to admit that if this had been a church day, we would have just stayed home! You know you are laughing because you would have done the same! That walking out the door and the walls fall off the sides of the house feeling! SO MUCH FUN! Anyway, I had to tell this story in order to continue to provide the abstinence birth control for my single friends! HAHA! We did all make it out of the house clean and cloroxed! As well as the bathroom for any of my friends that may dare to venture to visit anytime soon! HAHAHAH!

I must also mention the wonderful acts of kindness performed in Vivian, LA, today! I must say that I do poke fun at this "near the middle of nowhere" farm and the surrounding communities that I live in, but it truely is all in my prior ignorance and meant in jest! Today I witnessed the goodness that people possess come out tenfold- teeth or no teeth! The First Babtist Church and Helping Hands painted a house in Vivian today for a ninety year old woman that no one even knew occupied the home. It looked brand new afterwards! I saw the packed front yard of cars and the hard work on my way out of town and felt nothing but great joy. I wish I could say I had been a part of the project. I also ate today at Grumpy's in Vivian, and not only was the food delicious, the cause was unbelieveable. The Jennings family in Vivian is coping with a cancer diagnosis their two year old grandson was recently handed. The boy is receiving treatment at St. Jude's in Memphis. Grumpy's sold fish dinners today to raise money to help financially support the entire family during this great time of need. What a blessing! I have never seen community support the way I saw the cars lined up and people generously buying meals and making donations. It is so easy to get all tied up into the negative politics fed to us about how lazy and disrespectful Americans are, but I cannot believe the rhetoric after viewing an entire community doing nothing today except for giving and caring for others on every street corner. I believe everything is life is done in some long shot way that we may not understand for the glory of God. Those were God's hands, and feet, and aching backs, and arms of outstretched love today. I am proud and thankful for the giving and loving people of the Vivian community.

Thinks I forgot to tell you...

2008-12-05T18:38:00.001-08:00

In all my ranting above I forgot to tell you a few things! Jena got new dog! Her name is Dot! She is a golden retriever! I know she is going to love Jena's big fenced in backyard!

Also, I know I made grammatical errors in the post! Please do not grade for grammar, so I lose a point! Love me anyway!

DO NOT BUY YOUR LITTLE GIRLS A HSM TOOTHBRUSH! Although great for the teeth, they are most annoying when both of your girls have to come and make them sing in your ear EVERY MORNING and EVERY NIGHT (five times each) like you forgot the theme within the last five minutes! We should NEVER EVER EVER get a cavity if the toothbrushes continue to keep up with the Jones'! By the way, keeping up with the Jones' is a Louisiana saying that they even use on furniture commercials over here! So funny to hear them saying it! At first I thought there must really be a Jones family out there doing mighty well! Well, I never was the brightest apple on the tree!

My tree won the Vivian Town Lighting contest! My babies at school were so excited! I must admit that getting my aunt with an art degree to design my tree may have been cheating a bit! (HeHE!) I guess that was my way of playing politics to win in education! It's all about who you know, right!!?? HAHA! We did the same thing to win the pumpkin contest a while back!

Outlaws BBQ recently removed the "NEED NO TEETH TO EAT OUR BEEF!" sign. A tragedy really! It's just not the same to go through Vivian and not see that sign! Not to mention that business will probably drop off soon and the restaurant could be facing federal bailout if Vivian folks with few teeth failed to frequent the fine establishment! (No, really, the food is good!) I will take a picture and post soon! Just understand that the sign is missed! I went to the mall today(Wal-mart) and picked up a fabulous three hole puncher for my classroom and looked for VHS movies for christmas for my classroom. Did you know that Wal-mart NO LONGER SELLS VHS! Again, a tragedy! Again, picture coming soon! Hope all is well on your side of the island!

Christmas Chaos!

2008-12-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

Whoever invented the word "holiday" (any holiday) should inevitably be locked in a room for a decade with the inventor of pantyhose! There is no rest in sight! I have an activity on the calender from now until like March 20th or something just for Christmas! Granted all of these activities must occur between now and December 25th OF THIS SAME YEAR, but there are enough activities planned to extend to the afore mentioned date and further to this same date of the next year. For example this past week alone I had the Casting Crowns concert on Monday night, and I had a tree lighting ceremony for the christmas tree my class decorated that day for the town christmas stuff on Tuesday night, which I didn't make it to because Laura ended up sick. I missed school on Wednesday because Frankie left for Baton Rouge for a meeting and Laura had 102 fever! Thursday night bunco, decorating the home and the classroom and hall outside the classroom for the "holiday", Friday night packing for Saturday party in Ruston, LA..... should I go on? That was this week- and we even skipped church on Wed. night! I cannot keep up! I swear the trash and laundry and dirty bathrooms and toys and books and christmas decorations and presents to wrap and cooking and .... AAARRRRGGGGHHHH! I am turning myself into a scurvy pirate and walking the plank! I am seriously going crazy! So to the person who invented the word holiday, next time please inform Webster to add time of craziness, lack of sleep, and immenent loss of funds as the formal definition. And God forbid, DO NOT INVENT ANY MORE HOLIDAYS! I do not have enough hormones to handle another one! (My girls and my husband, it seems, have not noticed or are ignoring the fact that there is a holiday approaching, other than following me around with every magazine that comes in the mail telling me how they want Santa to bring them EVERY ITEM IN THE MAGAZINE. And yes, they do make boy magazines called Cabellas, Brownells, Bass Pro Shop ads, etc. And yes, he does this!) Welcome to holidays on the funny farm!