You Just Got Told

As you all have heard me tell stories of Addie, you know very well that she has quite the imagination. She loves to put Alex's clothes on and pretend that she is Alex. So, the other day, I'm reading, minding my own business, when this pops in and says, "you're messing with the wrong guy." Uh? I'm not messing with anybody and where in the world did you come up with that?
She continues by taking off her glasses, pointing them at me and saying, "I said, you're messing with the wrong guy." She puts the glasses back on and starts to walk off and says, "I'll see you later, nerd." That wasn't the end of it. She also said as she is pointing her finger at me, "You just got told." And walks off.

Check

So, as all of you know by now, I can check off getting a job at the University off of my "to do" list. Next step is to work my ass off for 6 months until I'm eligible for tuition reimbursement. Then, it's back to school for Pharmacology, Physiology, Nutrition and Chemistry. That's just the beginning. After I master those classes, it's on to Nursing School.

I thought I would be more excited about this, but to tell you the truth, I'm scared to death. I can hardly breath. I keep asking myself if this really is the right thing to do. I know it's what I want to do, but is it the right thing to do when you have so many more responsibilities? For example, the two precious souls above. I love them more than anything in the world and want to give them everything. I'm going to miss out on so much through this journey I'm about to dive into. Will they resent me? Will I regret my decision? I can't take the time I miss back.

I appreciate all of the kind words, wisdom and encouragement I have been given. But, I'm still scared. I know everything will work out and it will be worth it in the end, but that doesn't mean it's not scary as hell. So, here begins a new chapter in my life....

"The world is all gates, all opportunities, strings of tension waiting to be struck."

Opportunity sometimes seems to knock more frequently on some people's doors, while others struggle, wondering when they'll get their big break. If we look closer, we see that lucky individuals share some traits. They expect to find opportunity around every corner. They can view any new situation, even a difficult one, as an opportunity.

The world is brimming with possibility. What if we were to enter each day and moment with an attitude of childlike curiosity? Look, here is another gate, a transition from one space to another. We reach out and lift the latch, hear the creak of the hinges, and , instead of staying where it is safe and familiar, we step through.

I resolve to open a new gate in my life. I'll take a peek and see what's on the other side.

...we shall call it Open the Gate.

Potty Talk

One of the perks of being a female, potty talk. It's been a long time since I've gone to the bathroom with a group of girls, but it used to be one of the highlights of my day. Going to the bathroom with my girls in between classes, at lunch, at a party. It was the place to "catch up" on the gossip and did you see so and so doing such and such and did you hear what he/she said? It was always the place to make sure you were looking your best and that your outfit was cute. The bathroom at our home or my friends homes were always packed before a big night out. It didn't matter who was doing what in the bathroom either, we all just did our thing and talked non stop. It was great. So, this is what I found my girls doing, practicing their potty talk. Good for them, keep the female traditions going.
My back yard is a mud pit. Again. We have done this before, a couple of years ago when we got the swing set. Another story. A few months ago we had to have the two big trees in our yard taken down. They were dying and full of disease. Martin insisted that we have the tree stumps dug up. So we did. This is Eddie's machine. A guy that Martin works with. Yes, it is purple. Apparently this was a machine that was supposed to go to a different country. Why do people in other countries want a purple machine? I have no idea. Anyway, he let the kids play on it. I'm sure it's something that OSHA wouldn't approve of, but hey, I'm not getting Mother of the Year this year anyway. I've already blew that. Another long story. Apparently, all of the mothers of children Alex's age in our neighborhood are out to get me. I'm telling you, I'm real scared. One of the mom's names is Echo, the other is a Mormon. She judges me all of the time. So, I'm used to her. She really likes it when I sit out on my back porch with my glass of wine.

Since I'm on the subject of my Mormon neighbors, you know what really pissed me off about them? They sent home a Mormon bible with Alex the other day. What the hell? They know I'm Baptist and I occasionally go to church. They are not converting my son. No way. They also asked if Alex could go to church with them on Sunday. Um, let me see, no. I told Alex that they can't drink soda and that they can't play on Sundays and asked him if he really wanted to be a part of that. Who in the hell tries to convert someone else's child? The Mormons that's who. Back off.

Last night was supposed to be the first night of football practice for Alex. It rained and Parks and Rec wouldn't let them practice. His coach is really nice. He is one of the football coaches for MU. Don't ask me his name. Kim help me out please. Another reason I won't be getting Mother of the Year.

He seems really nice and I think he will teach Alex a lot. I'm not sure how Alex will take to football. He has to practice 4 night a week. And I thought Cub Scouts was bad. I thought it was funny when the coach was talking to the parents and asked them to please not get involved with the refs, other coaches, etc. He would handle all of that, there was no need for the parents to get involved. What do you think he has delt with in the past?

Just Because

Life has been uneventful for us lately. I'm not complaining, no drama is good. Although, I kind of got used to having drama in my life and now it seems a bit boring. I have absolutely nothing worth talking about. It seems every weekend has been too cold to go to the pool or lake. We didn't take a vacation this year. No birthdays to speak to. Just going to work and raising the kids. Just plain ol' life.
These pictures are from John's birthday party. I just never got the chance to post them. Work has picked back up again. School starts in less than 3 weeks now. Alex is going to be in the third grade. It really is hard for me to swallow. Just three years left of elementary school and then he will be starting a middle school. Seriously?

With nothing going on in our lives I've had a lot of time to reflect on my life. I'm focusing on all the good things. We are all healthy, thank God. I have two terrific kids. My baby sister is going to have a baby of her own. Now that is hard to believe. Kalynn is really like a daughter to me than a sister. It's hard for me to picture her as a mom. Don't get me wrong, she will be fabulous. It's just one of those things that's hard to get your head around. She was 12 weeks on Sunday. So on to being thankful. I have a job. This economy stinks (oops, that I am not thankful for). I have a husband that loves me, annoys me yes, but he loves me and is faithful to me. Wine. I really am thankful for wine. Sorry, can't help it. Hopefully this weekend I'll be thankful for the sun and warm weather. I'm pale in August. That really is just not typical of me. I'm hoping for a trip to the lake this weekend. We'll see.