pink nostalgia

the. cutest. [shaving] thing.

Can I just tell you?  This was the cutest thing.

Out of 26 photos, I narrowed it down to 12.  I couldn't cut more than that.

By way of background, E has been wanting to shave since...at least this long ago.  J said he could shave once he turned 14.  We got him a razor (and I made a razor cake) for his birthday.  Then J so casually says, "I'm going to go shave," and gives E the nod.

This one is so good.  He looks like such a proud MAN.

I love how they kept checking in on each other.

I wish you could've felt the vibe in the room.  It was excitement, but it was Wells boys' excitement, which is more like...contained wonder.  Like if they show their full hand they might explode, so it just beams right under the surface.

This one.

It's too bad firsts only happen once.  Now I have to wait five years for Alex's turn!

gingerwit: the case of the sock

My red-headed friend who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reader retaliation felt so strongly about the events below that she insisted on writing a blog post about it.  It's out of my hands.  I'm sorry.

 

Sock.

Noun

    1. Archaic: a low shoe or slipper

    2. A knitted or woven covering for the foot usually worn under shoes and extending above the ankle and sometimes to the knee

    3. A shoe worn by actors in Greek and Roman comedy

 

Picture this…a sweet Georgia peach (that’s me!) transplanted into the HUGE state of Texas by her Army husband. I started a new job in this new land. Ninety-nine percent of my new fellow co-workers did not speak to me or bother to acknowledge my presence. It was a lonely place. At the end of my first week of work, a petite blonde sweetly asked me to lunch. WHAT?!?!?! Someone talked to me AND was OK with being seen in public with me…WINNER! The cherry on top of this delicious ice cream sundae is that this petite blonde seemed to be totally normal. Or so I thought...

 

For our first lunch together, Angela and I went to Chipotle (GMO-free heaven). Yes, I said Angela. Angela Ezzell. Pink Nostalgia Angela. As we walked out of the office headed to lunch, I had my first glimpse of her weirdness. Angela was holding her cellphone (Iphone 5, white, no case) and pulled open her purse to put it away. Sounds normal, right? Instead of tossing her cellphone in her purse haphazardly or putting it in a cellphone-sized inner pocket, Angela pulled out a (…wait for it…wait for it…) SOCK. I averted my eyes and ignored this transgression. I mean, really, who was I to be picky? This was the ONLY person who wanted to voluntarily talk to me at work. If I ever wanted to appear socially normal or desirable in my new work environment, it was proper form to pretend I never saw it. Never saw it.

 

We had a great lunch full of all the normal pleasantries exchanged for two new acquaintances. One lunch turned into two, three…now too many to count. After realizing Angela appreciated and respected my love of sarcasm…I knew now was the time. We were heading out to lunch again. Again she pulled out the sock and placed her phone inside. She casually put it back in her purse. I finally asked, “Um, did you just put your phone in a sock?” She smiled and said, “Yes.” I further pressed, “Um, why did you put your phone in a sock?”

 

I had pondered this question after seeing her sock trick on numerous occasions:

    • Did she have a rubber allergy? Most cases contain some form of rubber…maybe she would break out in hives?

    • Had she fallen on hard times financially? Those Otterboxes are wicked expensive…I acknowledge that and can appreciate (maybe) a budget-friendly sock.

    • Had she recently broken her last case and was waiting for her personalized case to arrive in the mail? (I’m from the South…if it ain’t breathing, we monogram it.)

    • Had she grown up in the moonshining hills of West Virginia where people put all valuables in socks and then bury them?

 

Back to Angela’s response: “I don’t like cases. They’re too bulky. This sock (an athletic crew sock – picture a GoldToe sock, but pink) protects my phone. It protects the screen and the thickness of the sock protects it from falls.” As my mouth continues to gape, she continues with, “AND, if I ever pull the sock out upside down by accident, the heel catches the phone so it doesn’t fall out. It’s like it’s designed for phone-carrying.” She smirks and appears to be proud of herself. I admire that. Let your freak flag fly and own it. Oh, she OWNS it.

 

I asked if others know of her ‘sock.’ They do. I asked if they find it odd. They do. One day J (you know, Angela’s boo) was doing laundry and he threw some socks in her lap and said, “Can you put your cellphone cases up?” LOVE IT! I’ll occasionally talk to Angela about her sock. I’ll occasionally, and obnoxiously, bring up her sock in mixed company. From my informal polling, most, if not all, are on my side of the fence regarding Angela’s sock…a total freak flag. She defends it with a strong fervor. She has repeatedly come to me and said she went to lunch/dinner/etc with so and so and they think the sock was a GREAT idea. Lies, all lies.

 

Now you will never look at Angela or socks in the same light. You’re welcome.

 

recent reads

So here are the noteworthy books that I've picked up and put down (and scrolled through) since my last reading post.  I hit a patch in the middle of the year when I didn't really feel like reading (Netflix with Wells boys is more important), so it was kind of a light list to pick from.  : )

Self-Help:

How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It by Patricia Love and Steve Stosny.  This book recommendation was hands-down the best thing I got from therapy.  I smacked my forehead SO many times ("That's why!").  The first half of the book explains physiological differences between men and women.  The second half gets to the how to.  It shed so much light on my previous marriage and is teaching me to take lots of detours in my relationship with J.  If you're in a committed relationship, you need to read this book.

The Single Girl's Guide to Marrying a Man, His Kids, and His Ex-Wife by Sally Bjornsen.  Hey!  That's exactly MY situation!  There were multiple times that I thought the author read my diary.  She's funny but straight-forward - no big spoonfuls of sugar here.  This is stuff that no one talks about.  If you're the single girl in the title or the man or the ex-wife or care about any of the above, you should read this book. 

For both of these, I borrowed them from the library, loved them, then bought my own copy so I could highlight it.

 

One of Jason's bosses is in the habit of asking me what I'm reading on my lunch breaks.  As I was reading The Single Girl's Guide, he strolled over and asked.  Not wanting to say, "The Single Girl's Guide to Marrying a Man, His Kids, and His Ex-Wife," I said, "Ummm, how to be a good stepmom."  Clearly being caught off guard and not wanting to continue that thread, he said, "Okay!", turned on his heel and started to walk away!  He paused, turned back around, and said, "Have you read Love Does?"

Love Does by Bob Goff.  As in, love doesn't just talk the talk, it gets up and puts its money where its mouth is.  Love does.  The author is a Christian who shares personal anecdotes about accepting before criticizing and the selfless nature of love.

How To Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish.  This is multiple exercises in being purposeful in the ways that we treat the boys.  It often means taking a breath and a less critical approach.  It's spot-on in its analysis of how teens react to different types of communication.  The prequel is on my nightstand.

  

Boys Should Be Boys by Meg Meeker.  I quickly realized that if I was going to highlight the good parts to read to J, I would be highlighting whole pages.  It's the reason I didn't interfere when the boys were playing "Army" last weekend and got Al's backpack stuck in a tree and the reason why they kept playing together all afternoon.

Strong Mothers, Strong Sons by Meg Meeker.  It's on my nightstand waiting for me to finish Faithful Place.  I bought a hard copy after I read the first chapter of Boys Should Be Boys.  No messing around with borrowing it from the library. 

The Rita Recommendations:

I love that I have a handful of friends that once we run out of life to catch up on, we catch up on books.  : )

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  Charming and whimsical.  I need it to be made into a movie (definitely IMAX) so I can wrap my mind around it, but I suspect that much of the magic would be lost.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  Okay.  This book is that feeling you have when you're laying in a hammock on the beach or curled up in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate and extra mini marshmallows.  One of my new favorites.  I even geeked out an made a character map, AP English style.   

 

I'm sure J and Karen are embarrassed for me right now.

The Ones That Everyone Else Liked:

I read a few blog posts highly recommending this bunch.  Hmm.  How to start.  I liked the story but not the narration in I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson (loved that it was told from two perspectives three years apart and then to watch the overlapping and unfolding) and Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.  I mean, it's weird to like the plot but not the characters. 

 

I was really irritated with We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.  I never liked any of the characters.  The whole thing seemed disjointed.  The only reason I held on was because I had read that the ending would blow you away.  Well, the disjointedness WAS to support the ending, but once it was revealed, I started complaining outloud.  "Seriously??  [Spoiler]  That's what you're going with??  Seriously!"  So for me, the ending did not justify the poor writing.

Everyone and their best friend loved Yes Please by Amy Poehler.  I DID love Bossypants by Amy's best friend Tina Fey, but I abandoned Yes Please after I was halfway through and forcing it.

The Ones I've Recommended:

The Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French.  This series is unique in that each novel follows a different main character for an entirely new murder mystery.  The Likeness is my favorite thus far.

 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  So adorable.  The narrator is a geneticist with undiagnosed Asperger's (picture a hot Sheldon Cooper) which my OCD reads really well.  I smiled the whole time I read this and laughed several times.  The sequel is good, too.

Worth noting: The Nicholas Sparks ban is still running strong.  I have not caved once in two years since I put the ban in place.

Next big book endeavors: Anne Rice, Miss Marple, and mental illness memoirs.

behind the photo: the ottoman

Here are the first five things that come to mind as I see this photo from this week.*

1. This scene is an iteration of a scene that happens a lot, and it warms my heart every time.  I love watching Jason read with Alex.

2. Here's the setup - the four of us were in the kitchen mapping out the night ("What are you fixing to do?"  "E needs to shower, Al needs to read...").  Then Alex came up with the game plan: "Angela cooks dinner, Ethen showers, and I read with Dad!  Then after dinner, we'll all watch Friday Night Lights!"  There are two things I love about his solution: 1. J encourages the boys to fix problems.  Fix problems is a motto at our house.  So for one of the boys to come up with the solution is cool.  It's working.  2. Alex used to put off reading as much as possible.  So for him to voluntarily put it in his plan as a top priority is pretty amazing.  It's working.

3. Alex is standing on a square ottoman with wooden legs.  It didn't even cross my mind that he must be standing on something (because he's not 5' 6" tall) until much later.

4. I made tangy chicken for dinner.  (As Kathleen would say, I could eat my way out of a bathtub of that sauce.)  The first time I made it for the boys, E said that he didn't really like the sauce.  So this time, I left the chicken out of the sauce for E's portion.  During the meal, I nodded to Ethen and pointed towards his chicken, which naturally meant, "How do you like the chicken without the sauce?  Is it alright?"  He nodded back to me, which naturally meant, "Good."  Fix problems.

5. Right before we sat down to dinner, I moved my favorite mason jar of flowers off of the table and onto the bar.  And that's when I discovered the ottoman under the bar.  Fortunately, it was more of a kick than a trip, and more fortunately, I did not drop the jar or smash it into the granite.  I hobbled back to the table and said, "I think I broke my piggy toe!  Somebody bless it!"  So Alex prayed, "Dear Lord, thank you for this great day.  Watch out for Angela's piggy toe, that it doesn't hurt anymore.  Uhh...Amen." 

*Author's note: I wrote this post last month.  : /

a perfect moment

Last Friday, I came home for lunch with Jason and the boys.  It was Spring Break, so everyone but me was off.

Alex ran into the kitchen to tell me about their trip to Academy: "I looked at bikes for you, but guess what.  They did not have pink.  They did have purple, but you should probably see it first."

Jason said, "Hey babe, when you're through with that, I have a perfect moment to show you."

Okay...?

He took my hand and walked me into the pink room.  We stood facing the windows; he rotated my hips to point me towards my desk chair.  He held up his hands like a movie director framing the scene.

"I was in here a few minutes ago, thinking about you and waiting for you to get home, and I noticed how perfect this all looked together - the new perfect floors, the light streaming in, the pink wall, your chair...  It's a perfect moment.  I thought it would make a great picture, a perfect moment."

"Did you take a picture?"

 

Sigh.

And then what happened next, oh man...

california

[last night after shopping]

J: So what'd you get?

me: a pair of shoes, a shirt for work, and a t-shirt.  It's kind of crazy.  

J: Fashion show, let's see it!

me: Okay, but, the t-shirt is a little out there for me.  I don't know what you'll think.  Do you want to see it now, or do you want to be surprised for when I wear it tomorrow?

J: Uhhh...no...I'll be surprised tomorrow.

[tomorrow]

J: Oh!  The shirt!  Call...for...Nia.

me: Babe.

J:  Call for Nia??  Who's Nia??

This is what I have to put up with for 32 years.  : ) 

how to: get a teenager to dance

In the living room/kitchen with the family:

- Let him play his own music (the clean versions, of course).  

- Glance, don't look, and smile.  But a small smile, like the kind of smile you give when Alex pronounces it "mininnilem."

- Ask what he has that he'd pick for you.  Ariana Grande.  And then turn it up.  UP.  And twirl.

- Get him to show you "that one new dance."  Move the coffee table if you need to.

 - Give his little brother a few head nods to invite him to join the party whenever he's ready.

- Whoop and holler when his dad busts out with the sprinkler, the cabbage patch kid, and the you'd-better-watch-this-hand.

- DON'T take pictures.  : )

When he thinks no one is watching:

- Show him a mirror.  ; )

When he knows everyone is watching:

Okay, he got a hit.  Cool.

What?! He's not stopping at second?!?!

Get down, baby, get down!!

TRIPLE!!!!!

- Wait for him to hit a TRIPLE during a baseball tournament in which his team will go on to win first place.

 

 

 

So, this breaks the first rule, but in my defense, he was dancing on a baseball field.  Pictures are fair game.  Ha, punny!!

random thursday stuff

I just (at lunch today) finished the third of three books that I read back-to-back-to-back (The Thirteenth Tale, Sharp Objects, The Lovely Bones).  All were intelligent, a little suspenseful, tragic, and surprising.  It felt really good to have that reading bug again.

We just (yesterday) had wood floors installed throughout most of the house.  They look amazing.  I don't really want to put furniture back in the pink room because I don't want to cover up the floors.

Did I mention that J tore up the tile and thinset by himself??

I love the wood floors.  I also love that we checked out 48,212 stores and websites to make sure we were getting exactly what we wanted.  I am not being sarcastic, but I am exaggerating.

In the middle of all of the construction dust, I got this pic from J:

A construction dust love proclamation??  Who else gets that??  Be still my pounding heart!

We went to dinner with (almost) all of J's family last night.  Pappy was on a roll with one-liners.

"She [our server] talks too fast.  She needs to slow down!  I'm from Buckholts!"

Pappy: Alex, no beer for you tonight.
Alex [grinning]: Okay.
me: What about Ethen?
Pappy: No whiskey!

Pappy [talking about his wife, Diddy]: After 62 years, I still ain't got her trained!
Diddy: What'd you say?
Pappy: I said we've been married for 62 years!
me: What about the rest of what you said?!
Pappy: Don't worry about that!

Diddy: I want to go to the pound and look at getting a new kitty.
Pappy: We might get a puppy, too. 
Mia: Daddy, I'm not sure that's a good idea.
Pappy: We'll raise them together so they get along.
Mia: You should really think about it if you want to get a puppy.
Pappy: Okay.  We probably won't get one.

The weather is getting just warm enough and staying just cool enough for the hammock.  The boys fixed it yesterday.

Back in...January?  We had a few sunny days in the 70s.  J and I ran errands allllllllll day Saturday, got home late afternoon, and had the same hammock thought.  He attached the hammock to the tree straps while I grabbed the hammock pillow and Baylor quilt.  We were all snuggled up, my head on his shoulder.  I had just entered that awesome sleepy state where I was starting to dream but still hearing the leaves rustle.  Then I heard, "Rrrrrrrreeeeeee," got halfway through my drowsy, "What wa..." when DOOOOFF!  We crashed to the ground.  There were about four seconds of looking at each other through stunned silence, then four minutes of laughter.  And that's why I say "fixed."

I'll leave you with a magical double rainbow on my way out of work yesterday.  The photo is pretty good considering I was carrying my purse AND an umbrella.

behind the photo: ten things

Obviously this is not a posed photo.  It's not even staged.  I literally got up, took it, and sat right back down.  The boys didn't even know I snuck it with my phone.  I kind of love this photo because it truly is an honest look at an honest moment, and it tells so much story.

1. the flowers that J gave me for my birthday.  Each year, he buys my flowers, and each year, the arrangement has at least quadrupled in size. 

2. peanut butter Reese's pieces cookies.  There are 12 in a package, and this one was the only one left an hour later.  It was gone before bedtime.  We were literally passing the plate around as we were playing...

3. Monopoly Empire, received from my Uncle Jeff and cousin Kristen for Christmas.  Such a great family game.  It goes really fast, it can change really fast, and there's room to make the rules up as you go.  BTW, the standing rule in our house is: if you roll the dice off the table, you lose a turn.  Alex asked to play it as we were finishing up dinner, E replied, "I can do that," and blam, J won.

4. E's Muscle Milk on the ground, his pick from a run to the convenient store down the street.  To give you perspective, everyone else picked ice cream.

5. the ottoman I was leaning against as I was texting with Rita, seconds before and after this photo was taken.

6. the carpet we're professionally getting rid of.   J considered...you know what, this is a separate post.  : )

7. the couches we're professionally getting rid of.

8. tossing the football [dive catch], not unusual at all except it's usually Al & E running/tagging/juking down the hall and into the living room.

9. E playing with his hair, phone in his lap playing music through the sound bar via Bluetooth

10. E's Sting baseball jersey that he wears to school.  He likes it because it's pink.

You can read what happened an hour before the photo here.

fine.

Jason,

Here is your blog post.

Sincerely,

aleebird

more snippets

More random bits of conversation that are funnier without context.

"The internet is in Colorado."  (This one reminds me of Jessie.)

"I just bought a book!!!!!!  To read!!!!!!"

Alex: I'm a great pourer!

AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I want the Kung Pao beef...I'm feeling a little nutty."

"Did I really just try to eat my applesauce with a pen??"

J about a coworker: You didn't know that she's more of a man than I am!

E: I gotta loosen up my life jacket before I pass out.

Alex: Hey Dad, do we have Wifi in the truck?

"I have three bad decisions on my body."

" I DO look good in Daisy Dukes!"

"Popcorn is so unpredictable."

Alex: ...and I have been gassy this week.  I recommend Pepto.

"It's all fun and games until someone busts out a highlighter."

"Growing to love and loving to grow."

"Do you want a head massage?  It feels good.  It also works your shoulders."
 

"My belly would beat me to death."

"I feel like a warrior!"

"I'm sorry, it's 12:01 right now and we close at noon..."

"There's half a tank of fun!"

 

Further snippet reading: office snippets, snippets lately, and recent snippets. 

why i stopped blogging

This is one of those things that you don't really realize until you say it out loud, and then you're like, "Oh.  That's how I feel."

I feel drained.  The blog drains me.

I put so much heart into it and don't get anything out.  I used to have a husband who would laugh at my blog jokes.  We would reference it in daily conversations.  Y and I used to eat lunch together every day, and running out of things to talk about, we talked about the blog.  We disected it; we brainstormed.  I used to bounce ideas off of Jessie.  She would approve the really personal posts.  My mom used to send comments or texts about each post.  Then we'd talk about it again in person.  She would proofread for me.

[used to...used to...used to...]

I just don't get that anymore.

I don't have anyone to talk about the blog with.  No one is saying, "Hey, I really wanted to see a post about blah, when will you write it?"  It's like getting stood up.  By your boyfriend.

So much of my life in the last several years (uh oh, this is where it turns serious) feels like giving, giving, giving.  And not the good kind where you see the orphans' smiling faces, but where first it's a pinky, then it's a thumb, then it's your whole arm and it's kind of like...how much more can I put out there without getting it back?  How much will you take before you give me something, too?

(Perfect.  Now I'm crying.)

So maybe I need to use the blog for another purpose.  It's never been to get comments, likes, etc., but it's also never been to get nothing.  Actually, at first it was an attempt to break into the scrapbooking world.  That dream is dead; no harm, no foul.  Then it was this thing that everyone huddled around to talk about, i.e. Twilight or the new hush-hush office romance.  Then it was keeping people updated with my huge life changes - divorce, apartment, hot complicated boyfriend, two part-time-pseudo-step-kids.

But now it feels like nothing. 

So...why am I doing it?

Well, it IS good for recipe archives and how to shorten a necklace.

Maybe just getting the pity party out of the way will do the trick.

behind the photo: my favorite alex photo

During this football game, Alex expressed a newfound interest in my photography.  Throughout the game, Alex suggested multiple photos for me to take and asked to see them afterwards.  He sat right next to me as I packed up my camera bag. 

He watched and asked questions as I traded out lenses.  I showed him how to face the camera body towards the ground so it doesn't get dust on the image sensor that will show up on the pictures.  I showed him how to trade out the caps and how the lens will click into place.

I showed him how to twist the lens to change the zoom.  I explained how a longer lens means a longer zoom which means you can get closer from far away.  We compared my longest lens to my short portrait lens.  This one gets very long as opposed to this one which doesn't zoom at all.  I let him twist it to no avail.

Then he stuttered, "Well, where's your medium-est lens?"

: )

I reached into my bag of tricks and pulled out my 18-55mm kit lens.  We compared its size to the others, and of course he checked the twist/zoom function.

He made his determination.

Al: Well, I like this big one the best.

me: Yeah, I like it, too.  It gets close from far away, and it takes really good pictures.

Al: Okay, take my picture!

He faced me and cheesed while I immediately got my camera up.  But since I had my long lens on, his nose basically filled up my whole frame.

me: Alex, honey, you're too close.  I can't get it to focus.

He slid back on the bleacher.  Just the fact that he slid back on his own so I could try again instead of losing interest made my tummy flip.

Al: Okay, how 'bout now?

J: Boyyyy, that's not even a real smile!

So Alex tried again, a real, genuine smile with just a hint of cheese.

[click]

me [turning the camera around to show him the screen]: Oh my goodness, look how handsome you are!

Al: That IS a good picture!

15 confessions

Oh, is it not the 15th??  No matter!  Let's go!

1. Any time I read the word "confessions" I think of the Usher song: These are my confeeeessionnns...

2. A few months ago, I was leaving work walking out to my car.  I checked my purse's outside pocket for my Jeep key, and it wasn't there.  I checked the main part, and it wasn't there.  I stopped walking mid-parking lot and checked the outside pocket again.  Main bag again.  Outside pocket again.  Tiny inside pocket with the zipper that I never use.  Pants pocket.  Outside pocket.  I walked the rest of the way to the Jeep, opened the unlocked door, and started the car with the key that I had left in the ignition ALL DAY LONG.

3. Halloween was a great bonding experience for me and Alex.  He let me put his vampire makeup on, which means he let me touch his face.  He let me rub his whole face.  For a boy's dad's girlfriend, that's huge.

4. That said, my favorite moment of Halloween was the moment Ethen said he was coming with us to take Alex trick-or-treating.  He stayed home last year, and when we talked about it this year, we all "planned" on him staying home.  But then he was hanging outside with us as we were getting bundled up.  J said, "Are you staying here?"  E said, "I'll go."  I mean, he willingly passed up uninterrupted video gaming to walk with J and I and be part of the story.  Sigh.

5. I haven't been working out since I finished P90X3, and I don't really miss it.  My weight is about the same, but I HAVE noticed my body distribution changing, so...the break is almost over.

6. I've been making a list of "cold weather food" that I want to make soon: Jessie's chicken spaghetti, Mom's pot roast, chili, meatloaf (done), jambalya, Frito pie (done). 

7. I've also been thinking about keeping a food journal a la Jenny, mostly so I can remember which Wells boy liked what and so that I have a list of options ready to combat chili dawg ruts.

8. I love talking about TV characters as if they're real people.  LOVE.

9. I don't like pumpkin anything.  Pumpkin pie, pumpkin chai lattes, pumpkin spice candles, pumpkin bread...ew, ew, ew, ew.

10. Last week, I ran into a friend from college (ACK, that makes me feel old!).  She walked into the restaurant, our eyes met, she said, "Angela?!"  We had a total freak-out moment, huge hug, and quickly got caught up while J had a deer-in-the-headlights look.  She was so excited just to see my face.  It made me feel very warm.

11. Speaking of warm, I think fires in the fireplace is one of my favorite things this year.  J and I had one earlier this week and it was magical.

12. Speaking of a deer in the headlights, on our way home from the above-mentioned dinner where I ran into Teresita, I ran into a deer who then ran off the road.  I bawled.  J consoled.  I finally calmed down after J convinced me that there was no damage to the deer since there was no damage to my Jeep.  Deep breath.  Then he pulled a solitary deer hair off of my front bumper, and I started bawling again.

13. I started looking at honeymoons last week.  It's already gotten me into trouble. (No, you didn't miss anything - I'm not engaged.)

14. I've been downloading and listening to the Bobby Bones show at work.  This was one of those rituals that fell through the cracks during the moving-divorce-moving transition.  The familiar voices feel good.

15. I've eaten popcorn for lunch twice this week.  A coworker and fellow popcorn lover gave me a bag of Indiana aged white cheddar.  It's gooooood.

Thanks to Stephanie for her confessions and for use of the graphic!  What are your confessions?

tuesday night football

Are you ready for some fooooootballllllll?!?!?!?!?!

Ooooh, I like this one.  Ethen is number 3.

They look menacing.  Kind of like...

Sorry, y'all.  It's been a while since I had me some good vampires.

Here he is at wide receiver!  Caught just inside the goal line!  And down he goes!

 

 

That's him back center - he's ready.

Sigh.

Back to the game.  Seriously.

Well, not much more happened.  : /

But this is my new favorite photo of Alex.

I.  MEAN.  It's a whole separate post.

This is my previous favorite photo of Alex.

This one kind of makes my heart jump.  No editing - all that handsomeness is straight out of the box.

Onto the next week...  Here's one J requested with, "That would make a cool photo."

I don't know how he does it, but J can always tell me when the play is to E.  It's uncanny.  But then I know to get my camera up!  E's on the right, then he's the one being tackled.  It takes two of 'em!

 

 

Back center and ready again.

And my favorite part of the game (from tonight):

Technically, the focus is deep and the shutter speed was slow.  But the moment.  Ahhh! 

Way to be, 3!!

i'm still here and i am really rambling

Hi, welcome back.  : )

I have so many things to say, I'm not sure it's even worth trying to put my thoughts into any cohesive order.  So let's just start.

- Last week, I was in San Antonio all week for an advanced payroll class that ended with me taking the Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) exam.  It's the CPA-equivalent for the payroll world.  I've been studying since July and put in at least 50 hours last week alone.  (FYI, this is the main reason I haven't been blogging.)  I PASSED.  There was a decent amount of work pressure to pass on my first go, so I'm super super thrilled to have rocked it.

- I have time to blog now.

- All of this time that I haven't been blogging, people have still been coming to my blog.  This always surprises me.  They like me!  They really like me!

- J, et al. is still going strong.  Last night, he referred to our family foursome as an empire.  BLAM.

- Alex has a chia pet in the shape of Si from Duck Dynasty.  I know - I have no idea.  Last night he asked me if he could paint it, meaning could he use my acrylic paints and brushes in the pink room.  I got him set up on the carpet with nothing more than a few paper plates.  I scrapped at my desk and we listened to Pandora.  I did not once micromanage his painting, and when he put the paint bottles up, I didn't even put them back in ROYGBIV order.  Progress.  The love is taking over the OCD.  Plus, he put the paint bottles up without me even asking!!  Reminder: he's only 8!

- I listened to Taylor's new single "Out of the Woods" only once.  I don't like it.  I mean, I still had the chorus stuck in my head, and I'm still still buying the album, but still.

- J and I had our "official" one year anniversary last week when I was in San Antonio.  This was it:

- I got a new iPhone.  I have Siri now, who (whom?) I love.  She has helped me multiple times except when I was driving home on I-10 and told her, "text Kathleen" and she replied, "Okay, searching walnut."  What.

- Are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods...

- Typepad has a feature where you can post your blogs to FaceBook, which is how most people get to my blog.  For TWO YEARS, it has not worked for me.  I have to go through like four extra screens to make it work.  It's the bane of my blogging existence.  Maybe that will be my goal for this week.  Is this where I should hashtag first-world problems?

- I got this text from Meme which totally made my day:

- I've started taking photos of E's sporting events, but only when his mom isn't there.  It feels like I'd be stepping on her toes or something, even though I have no other way to get said photos.  I have really really loved it.  The only problem is that I miss what's actually happening.  I told E, "I got the shot of you hitting the ball, but I have no idea where the ball went!"  I'll blog a few photo dumps over the next few weeks.

- Any time you mention rapping, Alex busts out, "Yo yo yo, my name is Joe Joe.  I live in a tree but I'm not a hobo.  Word!"  He says "word" like "wuhhhhd" and it always makes me giggle at how cute he is.

Anything else?  Are you still reading?

a few things lists

the few things I bought from iTunes:
1. Taylor Swift's Shake It Off
2. ZZ Ward's 365 Days
3. Max's Mug Shot

a few things to scrap:
1. E's football season
2. the 100 happy days mini...but I lost the first 20 days. Aaaarg.
3. Christmas 2013 album

a few things that happened:
1. After a few days of singing the chorus of Shake It Off around the house, J said, "You're still singing that?"  Uhhhh, yeah!  I said, "Babe!  Her album doesn't come out for two months, so...I'm going to be singing 'Shake it off!' until then..."  He said, "Well, yeah, and that's fine, but could you at least learn the rest of the song??"

2. We did a little back-to-school shopping at Old Navy last week.  Ethen was done trying on two pair of jeans when I got to the dressing room.  He showed me his 30x32s and 32x30s, depending on his mood.  Hmmm.  But I just said, "Alright."  Then he hopped up off the bench and said, "Well, let me try them on again."  He showed me both pair and got the in-between size I suggested.  I told J about that later and said, "I think he tried them back on just so he could get my input."  J looked at me like I was a fry short of a Happy Meal and said, "Yeah.  He loves you."  Sigh!

3. I have a new coworker friend.  She makes beelines to my desk like Angie did at my old job.  Yesterday, my new friend tells me these outlandish stories about how her family takes annual trips to their family plot at the cemetary and that her parents used to take her and her siblings to play games at the local cemetaries.  I said, "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.  No.  Shut.  Up.  You are lying.  Shut up, shut up."  She said, "No!  I thought it was normal!"  Then she sent me proof (bah ha ha haaaa ha ha haaaaaa!):

 

a few fun things on the short list:
1. a fancy dinner with J
2. a Baylor football game (new stadium!!)
3. Torchy's Tacos with Y

a few things I'm watching:
1. Grey's Anatomy.  I'm rewatching parts of it because I got a coworker into it.  We're at the end of Season 8.  She doesn't know about the plane crash!!
2. Naked and Afraid
3. Bar Rescue.  Those people are hot messes! 

a few things we introduced the boys to over the summer:
1. Freebirds
2. water skiing
3. Chuy's

a few things I'm crushing on:
1. Pop-Abilities white chocolate toffee popcorn
2. Maggie Holmes's Open Book line
3. Taylor's new video.  Shake it off!  Shake it o-o-off!!  Ha!!

a few things to blog:
1. yes, and
2. how to: grilled broccoli
3. counting stars 

a few things I'm prepping for:
1. 5K next weekend
2. Certified Payroll Professional exam next month
3. new car next year

a few things from iPhoto:

how to: get your girl out of her funk

This post is for men (which is very funny because I can only think of two men who read my blog, and neither one is Jason).

Nevertheless...

So your girlfriend/wife/daughter comes home in a funk.  She's says she's feeling wonky and doesn't know what caused it, but that it's not you.  The fact that she's still talking to you means she's telling the truth (compared to the "I'm fine" answer followed by stonewalling.  In that case, it IS you). 

But what do you do?  How can you help?

1. Hug her.  A really good, sincere hug for at least six seconds, and don't break away until she does, especially if she starts crying.  If she starts crying, it's because she's figured out what's bothering her, and then you have to listen until she's done.  Sorry, but you're in it now!

2. Buy her something small but thoughtful that only she likes, like grape tomatoes, Post-its, or a brand new pack of white flour-sack dishtowels.  It can't be something that you've been saying you need (trash bags) or something that you will also benefit from (ice cream).  It CAN be from the grocery store/Target/Dollar General.  And since it's about her and not about you, don't make a big deal about it.  I mean, don't chuck it at her, but just tell her you saw it and thought of her.

3. Buy her flowers.  Again, it doesn't have to be extravagent.  Grocery store flowers are fine.  For extra points, make up a reason why you picked them (the buds were still closed so they'll last longer, pink goes great with your eyes).  Never buy flowers in lieu of or in conjunction with an apology.  Every time she sees them, she'll think of the reason you had to apologize, which will make her want to shove the flowers down the garbage disposal.

4. Give her an hour or two to soak up some sun.  Suggest the pool, the lake, the backyard.  You don't have to go with her.  In fact, don't go with her.  Set out her headphones, mp3 player, and bottled water while she changes.  Don't text her while she's gone because she's probably thisclose to snoozing.  Rub aloe on her back when she gets home.

5. Ask her about the scrapbooking page she's working on.  If she answers half-heartedly, keep asking relevant questions (I know, but just do your best) until she starts babbling.  Smile to yourself and take your exit when she starts working on a page.  NOTE: If your girl doesn't scrapbook, do not ask her about scrapbooking.  Substitute scrapbooking with her biggest hobby.  The point is to be interested in what she's interested in and to remind her that she has a really fun thing she could be doing (i.e. scrapbooking). 

6. Chocolate.

7. Do yoga with her.  Funks tend to make you want to curl up on the couch with a whole pot of chili and just...sit.  Even if she works out regularly, she probably will not want to exercise to bust through the rut.  But yoga is exercise and will make her feel productive, and it isn't something you have to get pumped up for.  You might be thinking, "But I can't do yoga!"  Perfect!  Yoga is always one bent leg away from uproarious laughter.  Ask her if you're doing it right.  She'll look over and fall out of Warrior III laughing.  Don't get mad that she's laughing at you - your plan is working.  Throw in some commentary to keep her going.  Then continue doing your best it wrong. 

8. Pray with her. It doesn't have to be long or eloquent. Hold her hands. Just thank God for this wonderful woman He put in your life and that it's a privilege to be next to her through ups, downs, and funks. If she starts crying, see #1.

9. Ask her to help you with a problem you're having.  Her funk is likely due to something that she can't quite put her finger on.  So she can't solve her problem, but women are empathetic by nature, so she'll still want to solve yours.  Plus it will bust away some of the feeling of worthlessness that looms through funks.  The problem cannot be about her (as in: How do I get you to stop nagging me?) but it CAN be minor or made up!

10. Retell that story that makes you laugh uncontrollably.  Seeing you gasp for breath laughing will make her laugh.  If it's a story she hasn't heard yet, she'll be glad you're sharing with her.  If it's a story she was there for, she'll be glad to relive it.  Use hand gestures and get out of your chair for re-enactments if possible.

Bonus! 11. Let her pick dinner.  Because her core-funk-desire is to sit on the couch with a whole pot of chili, she does not want to suffer the tedium of cooking dinner (but beware, there ARE a few women who like to cook as an escape).  (Sidebar: She also doesn't want to work in the flowerbeds like y'all had planned.)  So offer to go out, and then agree when she suggests Wing Stop.  You don't get to counter with your first choice.  It doesn't matter what you had for lunch.  If she tries to be polite and refers to the at-home dinner y'all had planned or suggests one of your fave places, insist she gets her first choice.

As women, we know we can be difficult.  We often snicker about it.  But it's frustrating for us when WE don't even know what we need, so we know it's confusing to you.  Any effort is appreciated.  Panicking and leaving her alone is not appreciated.  Even if she says, "Leave me alone," slip a note under the door, text her a joke, or leave some Nutter Butters on the counter.  But she just said...right.  This is one of those times when we don't mean what we say and expect you to read our minds.  : )

Good luck!

100 happy days: days 81-100

Here are some highlights of my last 20 happy days (ha).

Day 82: Grilled Steak Medallions, my new favorite from Cheesecake Factory.

Day 85: J dressed up for my homecoming.  : )

Day 90: Comparing P90X3 notes with Mom!

Day 91: Watching my cousin Allan in his Crossmen marching band.  He was thrilled to see family after weeks of traveling the country.  His excitement and homesickness was palpable.  Him and J had a lot to chat about being both music lovers and athletes.  It was so fun for me to be in the midst of all of that family enthusiasm.

[Can you find Allan?  Me either!]

Day 93: Surprise by Y - Gordough's!

Day 98: 

The last few days were not happy at all.  Those turned more into a grateful project.  Even so, it was a good exercise to get over myself and apply some perspective.

So did this 100 Happy Days project work??  

It forced me to acknowledge even little happy things, and any time you write something down or say it out loud, it gives it weight which makes it more significant.  So by taking the picture or scribbling the note, I now have a bucket ball memory which I probably would have already forgotten about.  I've noticed that J sits rightnexttome on the couch and that that makes me happy.  There are hundreds of other "happy" moments that I noticed but didn't record, and they all calmed me down a bit.  No need to scramble or panic that everything isn't picture-perfect.  Look at how happy you are sitting on the back porch with the grill going...Look at those smiles you caused...Feel your heart pound as J makes a joke with toothpaste foaming out of his mouth...Listen to that laughter.  You're alright.

You can read the rest of this 100 Happy Days project here.  The mini album is next.

100 happy days: days 61-80

These 20 days seemed to all be summer days.  I think of summer days as easygoing family togetherness, lots of time outside, grilling, and a few extras thrown in.  I don't think I made happiness contagious which was my goal, but I did bask in it.

Day 64: J says our day together was one of his best ever when I ski for the first time in 14+ years and he skis for the first time in 20+ years.

Thanks to J for initiating some photos!

Day 65: J apologizes with, "You were right, I owed you that."  I cried.

Day 68: Hebert!

Day 69: The communicating and reciprocating convo with J (more on this later).

Day 73: Freebird's twice in two days, and all the boys love it.  Alex looks to me again to help him order.

Day 75: Talking yoga with Mom and sending examples!

Stuck it!  Even through J's giggly commentary!

I'll wrap up the last 20 days tomorrow.  : )  You can find the rest of my happy days here.