WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!

Remember my Party Post? Guess what? I WON!! Yes, sirree, I did! I NEVER win! I won $50 gift certificate to Amazon. You can buy ANYTHING on Amazon! Head over to Lynette's post and see my name in lights!

I'm a winner winner chicken dinner!!!

Wednesday Weekend Wrapup

It's Wednesday. I haven't blogged about our weekend. Whatever. Whatever Wednesday. Maybe that should be the title of this one. Ok. I'll stick with what I've got. It was a good weekend.

Friday night was Marco'sbirthday at GattiLand. Dad Dad and Mom Mom wanted to take the kids to a movie after school. Kylee really wanted to see Rango and was very upset when Blaine would not agree to be 10 or 15 minutes late to the party to go with them. She kept trying to convince him to go, that it was only 10 minutes, etc., but he was not going for it. He tried to tell her she wouldn't be late to her friend's party, but she wouldn't relent. Finally he said, "Well, maybe you would, but that's you. Not me. I'm not going to be late." So Kylee went with Dad Dad and Mom Mom; Blaine and I went and got Marco a present; and Kylee came 10 minutes late.

While Blaine was really excited to see Carloand his other baseball buddies, Kylee was all about the tickets. And collect the tickets she did.Blaine had a great time with his baseball buddies, and Kylee truly had her "best of both worlds" night.

Saturday after the typical baseball/slash dance early part of the day, Carlo and Marco came home with us after the game. I decided to go see a movie with D'Anne. Kylee was N-O-T happy! She text me through the entire movie giving me a play-by-play of what I was trying to escape from for a couple of hours was going on at home. Now I know why it's been so long since I've done that. It's work, too.

Sunday we spent time with the Hayes. We hadn't seen them for a long time, and the kids were so excited. We went and watched Shawn's volleyball game at the Y, while the kids playedon the other side of the gym. Then we had lunch at Macaroni Grill and dessert at Crave. We are always teasing Kylee and Katy about the difference in their size. We always say, "Here comes Katy and her kid."Kylee is four months OLDER than Katy.

After such a filled weekend for Blaine, staying up late, gettign up early, he was SO tired! He was in such a bad mood Sunday night, but he couldn't even tell us what he was upset about. There was not a person in this house who could please him. Fortunately, there was a dogwho could.

And don't tell Kylee you saw this picture,but one of these days, she will appreciate her 11-year-old self getting out of the shower, hair towel and all, putting on her pajama t-shirt...and her tutu.

After thinking about these silly kids, reminiscing of our weekend, I'm glad I left the title as is.

P.S. Please excuse the iPhone pictures. My camera battery was dead, and I KEPT forgetting to charge it!

Color Me Happy

I love the innocence of 1st graders! We were driving to school this morning, and Kylee said, "Oh, no, Mom! I forgot it was Jillian's birthday yesterday, and I really wanted to get her something!" I said, "Well, we'll get her something this afternoon, and you can take it to school tomorrow." Blaine said, "Diddy, just go into the school, color her a picture, and you can surprise her with it at lunch!" Suh-weet!

This conversation is much better than the one we had on the way to school yesterday morning. Kylee said, "Mom, my friend told me that when they 'fix' a dog, they cut off his nuts." Blaine said, "OMG! His balls?! They cut off his balls?!" What's a mom to do?! I said, "Yup. That's what they do."

I prefer discussing birthday presents.

P.S. Thisis Jillian.

We are the Marshall

Remember our friend, Mat?Blaine loves him! Well, we all love him, but there's something special about a big boy loving a little boy and letting him be "part of it."

Anyway, every time Blaine goes to Mat's house, he comes home with crap stuff, Mat's stuff he doesn't play with anymore. So last time he comes home with a huge popcorn tin full of legos and some other stuff, to include a key chain. **This is where I would include a picture of the key chain, if I could get it out of my six-year old's hands for half a second. More explanation on that in a minute.** ***UPDATE: I got the pictures!*** The key chain looks like a marshall's badge, and it says US Marshall around the star. On the other side, it looks like an old coin, and it has a year of like 1870 or something.

Blaine thinks it's real. Like for real real. He thinks it's really from 1870 and that "they", whoever they may be, are looking for it. Now let me tell you how I know.

He comes into my room Saturday and shows me this treasure. He tells me that it's real, like from the Army. I told him the US Marshalls are very important, but not from the Army. I'm not sure if he heard me or not, because this is a real treasure, and he's totally consumed by it. He says, "Mommy, can you set the alarm tonight?" Our house alarm, not an alarm clock. I say, "Sure, son. Why?" "Because, Mommy, they (again, whoever they may be) are probably looking for this, and I don't want them to break into our house while we're asleep." Um...okay. Then, "Mommy, if they find me, do you think I'll go to jail?"
"For what, son?"
"For stealing it!"
"Did you steal it?"
"Well, no. WAIT! Do you think Matty KNOWS he gave it to me? Do you think he accidentally gave it to me and doesn't know it?"
"No, I'm pretty sure he meant to give it to you, but we can ask if you want. Give it to me, and I'll take a picture of it (this is when I'd already figured out this would be a blog, and I needed a picture of this treasure) on my phone, and we'll text Mat and ask."
"NO!! You can't take a picture of it. This is super secret stuff, and we can't just let it out there."
"Well, son, I'm sure Mat wanted you to have it."
"Mom, how much money do you think I could get for it if I put it on Ebay?" (So much for super secret stuff.)
"I'm not sure, but probably a lot."
"Shew, I know!"

He runs off.

Sunday the phone rings, and as so often happens in our house, it was a telemarketer, so I hollered for nobody to answer the phone. He comes FLYING into my room, "Mom, what if it's them??" "Them who, son?" "Them looking for my Marshall badge!" "THen we really shouldn't answer it, huh?"

So this morning, it's in his pocket, the safest place he could think of (a-hem), and I'm praying it stays there and doesn't get lost. What a dee-zaster it would be to have it lost. I'm sure if it's lost, though, you will know, because it will probably be a more dramatic post than this.

Party Post!!

I'm so excited! It's my first blog party! Thanks, Lynette! Now all y'all go over to Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground!

I really enjoy being able to blog for my kids, as their baby book, if you will. I've discovered that I'm addicted to it. I think of everything they do in how it will be a blog post. What's worse than that is I stalk other's blog, as if I know them...when I don't. I follow several (a-hem, the number will not be revealed) blogs every day, like religiously. It's kinda sick. I kinda like it.

Now for the questions Lynette posted for us to answer for the blog party. Let's win some prizes!!

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right? The consensus, when asked of a few friends, is straightforward. That is a nice way of my friends saying blunt. If you ask, I will tell you..the truth, even if it's hard. So, yeah, I'd have to say it's true.

What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life? Probably Karen Kingsbury or Kelle Hampton.

Who is your favorite blogger? Why? My favorite blogger, hands down, is Kelle over at enjoying the small things. Why? She is so funny and so real and so loving. This post just today was so me. I can totally relate to her. She doesn't even know me or that I stalk her or that I'm writing this about her, either. Kelle, if, for some wild reason, you see this, I promise I'm not crazy, just obsessive. j/k..kinda

What is your comfort food/drink? Anything I don't have to cook

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself. I'm pretty sure I have an addictive personality. I'm addicted to blogs, Facebook, mango yogurt, angry birds, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Words with Friends, The Bachelor (eek!). I could continue, but I won't.

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it? Ummm....no. I don't think so. If I want to do something, I usually just find a way to do it.

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres? I'm kinda girly in this respect. I like me a good chick flick.

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material? Again with the addictions. I'm addicted to Karen Kingsbury. I've read everything she's written, I think, and buy her new stuff the DAY it comes out. In true addict fashion, I then have reader's remorse as soon as I turn the last page, wishing I had waited longer to buy it or read it slower.

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types? Country. That's pretty much it. I like an occasional rock song that somebody introduces me to, but I would never find it on my own. I also like MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, and some others.

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money? Buy "my" house! I found the house of my dreams. If I had designed it myself, I wouldn't change a thing. But my husband won't buy it for me. So what if it's out of our price range! Right? Okay. No. I'd buy it with my million dollars.

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul). If you know me in real life, you know the answer to this question. If you don't, I'm sorry you had to read this. My weakness is smoking. That's all I have to say about that.

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go? Y'all are gonna think I'm weird, but I'm a Texas girl, born and bred. I'd move to Midland, Texas, if I could take everybody with me. It's still west Texas; it's still small-town mentality, but it has big city restaurants; and it's probably perfect because I don't live there.

Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat? I'm not sure this is a strange feat, but it is different. I can "type" 225 words a minute. I'm a court reporter.

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift). I can find the perfect gift. It's not really a gift. It's more of an obsession. (I'm beginning to think I need real professional help!)

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? A baby slathered in some Johnson's baby lotion. Now that's heaven. Oh, and a good-looking cowboy with great cologne.

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? Less, NO question!

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in? Pottery Barn and Circle P (a small shop in West Texas)

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia? My greatest fear is losing the ones I love. Yes, I know they are going to a better place. I'm not scared for them. I'm scared for me!!

What is your greatest accomplishment? I haven't completed it yet, but I know I will. It will be to raise God-fearing, productive, great kiddos. They aren't raised yet, but they are off to a good start!

Are you a hopeless romantic? I almost wish I were, but I'm not. I'm jaded, I think. Maybe it's divorce court that I work in. Maybe it's just who I am.

What movie or book character can you most relate to? Ashley Baxter. Karen Kingsbury, ya know.

Now, anybody know a good shrink in West Texas to help me with this addictive personality seems to be rearing it's ugly head?!