The Mutant Clooney Genes

I just stole this picture from my mom's Facebook page.  I don't know why I have never printed this picture off.  Even though I look very tired (and I was, trust me) I love this picture because the moment that I saw it, it finally hit me that I had two sets of twins.  It was taken on my 29th birthday, which means that it took five months after the boys were born to really sink in.   

Sometimes I am driving around with the kids in the car, or disciplining them, or doing something that I used to watch my parents do....like make coffee, and I stop and think "How did this happen?"  How do I need coffee to get going?  How do I have five children? How in the world is it almost the year 2012?  That means that not only are the 80's and 90's long-gone, but the first decade of the 2000's is gone too!  Will time continue to whip by like this for the rest of my life? Am I going to be 50 and sound like a 50-year-old saying "Back in my day....."?  Lindsey asked me a couple of weeks ago if the Spice Girls were still alive.  I mean, come on, man!  Really?  Oh, and last night I played "End of the Road" for Lindsey and she asked me if Boyz II Men were still alive.  My friends and I have decided that we really are old because we think that all of the new music sounds the same.  Not only does it sound the same, but it all sounds like noise, not music. 

Anyway, I will love this picture forever because in it, I have my babies nestled around me.  One day it'll be hard to get them to all stay in the same place and they won't fit on my lap anymore, but I will always have this picture.  I was so happy in this picture and I am still so happy.  I love them so much and I really do try to enjoy every day because I am completely aware of the fact that time is whipping by and I will be 60 sooner than I even imagine. 

I have this obsession with Googling celebrities to see how old they are.  Even if I am watching an old movie, I Google whoever it is to see how old they were when it was filmed.  This strange habit began when I was 29 and freaked out about turning 30.  The other night, I Googled George Clooney while I was watching "One Fine Day". I noticed that I found him more gorgeous than I used to.  In high school I thought he was good-looking and could see why older women liked him, but I wasn't particularly interested.  Well, the reason is because he was 35 in that movie.  When that movie came out, I was in high school and my dad was like 35.  It's the same thing as when I see high school boys now.  I think "How in the world did I ever like someone your age?  You're a child!"  I know that this all sounds so stupid and airheaded, but these are the things that I think about sometimes. 

Just to freak you out a bit, George Clooney is now 50.  He's still gorgeous.  He knows it too.  He only dates younger, beautiful women.  He says that he will never marry again.  He must have had a horrible experience!  Look at him below......does anyone look this good in a plaid shirt?  I mean, that's ridiculous, dude! 

Why do men get to age so well? And they don't even do all of the things that we do to take care of ourselves! I doubt that half of them even wash their faces. How is it that they don't worry about free radicals, don't bother eating foods rich in antioxidants, and don't even use eye cream....yet they look great as they age? And don't say that it's because we do that stuff, because I can point out the women who have NOT done anything and there is a difference. Is it just good genes? Are the Clooney genes just THAT GOOD?  George Clooney is immune to time and aging.  Thank God for that.  He'll still be hot when he's 70......like Robert Redford and Sean Connery. 

Here's the Word of the Day:

trav·es·ty

 1.

a literary or artistic burlesque of a serious work or subject, characterized by grotesque or ludicrous incongruity of style, treatment, or subject matter.

2.

a literary or artistic composition so inferior in quality as to be merely a grotesque imitation of its model.

3.

any grotesque or debased likeness or imitation: a travesty of justice.

Single-Celled Organisms

Logan and Lindsey have a science test on single-celled organisms this morning.  I thought about driving them through McDonalds to show them in person what one actually looks like, but…….ok, so that was mean, but do they ever get an order right?  I hate McDonald’s.  Carson and Dylan constantly say “MaacDonald’s, Mama?  MaaaacDonald’s?”  I know they are not babies anymore because they ask for fast food.  Why do they have to ask for the one place I rarely go and despise?  It’s so gross! I took them once and they refuse to forget about it!  I have taken them to Chick-fil-a several times, but they ask for McDonald’s instead!  That place is so disgusting. 

Anyway, Logan and Lindsey were studying for their test until 10:00 last night because they had practice until 8:00.  Lindsey had dance before cheerleading, so she had even more work to do than Logan.  She was doing her homework while she ate dinner, poor thing.  Around 9:00 I made them quiz each other and Lindsey came down in tears because Logan started asking her social studies questions for NEXT Thursday’s test.  She said that he was calling her dumb, so I said that she should just study alone or with me.  I asked why he was quizzing her for a test that was a week away and she said that he was just trying to “fill her mind with doubt”.   I was too tired to yell at him, so Don went up and told him to be nice.  I quizzed the kids and I think that they are ready. 

I took the kids to the playground after yoga yesterday and took some pictures of the boys.  (Posted below.)  By the way, yoga was awesome yesterday.  The teacher came over and put me in all of these crazy positions because she said that she was watching me and could tell that I could take more.  All I know is that my legs were behind my head at one point and I didn’t feel a pull.  Her class is awesome.  She is a true Yogi and it’s obvious that she breathes deeply and practices yoga all day long….something that I am not very good at.  In class, I can slow down and breathe.  In life, um, no.  When I get angry, I do not remember to breathe deeply and mentally take myself to some peaceful place.  Hopefully I will be able to do that one day.

Here are the pictures:

Here is the Word of the Day:

woolgathering \WOOL-gath-(uh)-ring\, noun:

Indulgence in idle daydreaming.

Farm Toys

I am going to yoga this morning.  My quads are so sore that I can barely walk down a flight of stairs.  I seriously look like Frankenstein and mumble “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow” as my feet hit the steps.  That class on Monday kicked my butt.  THEN I went to Pilates yesterday. 

The boys are getting really good at pretending and imagining with their toys.  Carson, Dylan, and Finley played with their farm and school toys yesterday afternoon.  The toys come in farm and school houses, you know, the old Fisher Price ones.  Here’s a picture to refresh your memory:

Anyway, they were saying “BYE, Mama!  We’re going on a trip!  Bye!”  They were pretending like they were suitcases.  Then they built the fences and trapped the animals for hours.  Well, they didn't trap the animals for hours, but they played that game for hours. 

Then Carson yelled for me and said “Mama, look!  Car is eating!”  I had to take a picture of what he set up on my bed.  (Dylan is napping next to him.  He was tired, but Carson and Finley kept playing!)

Carson and Dylan played with these toys all day; I am serious. Last night before they went to bed they were still building fences. They have played with them before, but not like this.

Have a great day!  Here’s the Word of the Day:

portend \por-TEND\, verb:

To indicate (events, misfortunes, etc.) as in future; to foreshadow; to bode.

Cute Excuse

This morning Lindsey came down for breakfast and I asked her a series of did-you-do this and that questions.  Yes, yes, yes, she said.  I then asked "Did you make your bed?"  She said "Well, you know how the doctors on TV said that it's good not to make your bed every day?"  I said "Nice try, go make your bed.  She smirked.  I have to hand it to her, that one was pretty good!  She is referring to the show, "The Doctors", and yes, they did say that once in a while it's good not to make your bed so your sheets can breathe. 

Get this!  You know the family that I talked about last week, the ones who went to Italy for the break?  They brought me back two pebbles from the Coliseum!  Isn't that awesome?  They are really more like small rocks, not tiny pebbles.  The ancient Romans could have stomped on this Earth that I hold in my hands.  Isn't that cool?  I thought that it was so sweet of them!  I was so excited!

Here's the Word of the Day:

gadabout \GAD-uh-bout\, noun:

Someone who roams about in search of amusement or social activity.

Empower Me

A few days ago my brother-in-law, Matt, sent me a petition to get rid of the TSA as is and to reallocate the funding to a more effective approach.  I wrote him back and told him that although adjustments are understandable, I am totally fine with being scanned and sexually molested at the airport if it means that the TSA will find explosive devices by doing so.  I would rather be groped than blown to bits.  Seriously, I’m like “Feel away, so long as you find the bad guys!”  I asked him if that was wrong because I sense that it makes people gasp.  (Obviously, I am being a little funny, but I am also serious about merrily following along for national security.)  He asked me if I want the TSA there and I said that I didn’t know what the alternative was.  I told him that I have always believed that they are doing some good.  I said that I realize that this is perhaps a façade and may very well be my crutch for flying.  Maybe the TSA really is useless and expensive, but I don't know.  After all, it’s not like I really want some stranger feeling me up, but I will take one for the team if it means that we won’t have another 9/11.  I know that a lot of people feel like the government is overly intrusive and I guess I just tend to trust too much.  Or maybe I am too comfortable with myself?  I just don’t see why an outline of your body is that embarrassing.  Everyone was outraged by the body scanners, but everyone can see the shape of your butt in your jeans—how is a scanner any worse?  They aren’t asking for your IQ, sexual history, or income.  They’re just feeling your groin…..ok, now I am being a smart alec.  I really don't just trust everyone, even the government.  I wouldn't have gone to school to be a journalist if I really just took their word for it.  However, it makes sense to me that we would need scanners and pat downs, so I guess that's why I am thought "too trusting" in others' eyes.

Anyway, Matt told me that he has a solution.  He is going to take me to shoot pistols.  He says that I need some empowerment when it comes to safeguarding my life.  He is probably right.  He says that when you are empowered, you are no longer scared.  I totally agree.  He said that having people grope you for the sake of a security threat becomes ridiculous.  I don’t know yet. 

It does sort of bother me that I trust others to protect me in my personal life.  Maybe I shouldn’t trust people and authority so much.  Any time that someone has messed with me, someone else always does something about it…..not me.  My friend, Katie, punched a guy in the face when he pushed me.  At my bachelorette party, a guy kept coming up and dancing with me and I kept saying "please, don't dance with me.  I don't want to dance with you."  When I finally had to push him, he spit on my arm.  I stood there and stared at the spit, shocked.  I didn’t even know what to say to him at that point, it was so gross.  His spit was on my arm!  I mean, who does that???  My sister and some guy who witnessed it got the bouncer to throw him out.  Had someone spit on my family member or friend, I would have gone psycho!  Someone spits on MY arm and I sit there frozen?  I don’t get it.

What's your take on the TSA?  I'd be interested in hearing your opinions.


Here's the Word of the Day.  Read the whole thing today because you will learn something:

tchotchke \CHOCH-kuh\, noun:

A trinket; a knickknack.

I went to the Urban Dictionary because I thought that this word sounded similar to something my sister called guys when she wouldn't go out with them.  I thought that their definition was funny:

1.	Tchotchke
	A small piece of worthless crap, a decorative knick knack with little or no purpose. Side note: Chotchkie can be pretty, sentimental, or even occasionally useful though it usually breaks easily if useful. If you are having trouble identifying Tchotchke just look around your house or someone else's and whatever you see that a burgler wouldn't steal is probably Tchotchke. This is the word that my sister used, similar to Tchotchke: 1. choch The guy who wears pooka shell necklaces, has frosted tips, goes to tanning salons, and believes that he is God's gift to women. He usually ends up being gay. Ok, so having lived in Milwaukee, I now know why she used this word a lot.  I was single most of the time because there WERE a lot of these guys!  I hated them!  You go to a club in Milwaukee, this is what you find.  The cute guys in Milwaukee are at the pubs wearing t-shirts and baseball caps.  They also drink beer, not fruity drinks.....unlike at the clubs.  If a guy had an Appletine in his hand, I always ran the other way.  In the words of one of my favorite comedians, Sebastian Maniscalco, "You take that back and get a beer or something that tastes like gasoline!"

Homie Got Mad Skillz, Yo!

No, I am not sifting through Craig's List's personal ads.  My brother-in-law, Matt, sent this to me.  I told him that I may not want to post it on my blog because homeboy may hunt me down at the library and bust a cap in my ass.  Matt says he's got my back, so enjoy......

http://i.imgur.com/1t3f2.png

And what's this about "smokin' tree"?  What is he talking about?  Weed doesn't come from a tree.  Is he smoking Pine Trees or something?  "Yo, shawty!  Come ova to my phat crib so we can smoke perennials and eat some foliage!  Bring da OJ!"  Kids these days.  Next thing we know they'll be rolling Kudzu joints.

But seriously? Can this be real? Is this due to Lil Wayne or something? Here I go, blaming the mainstream media. Don't drink the Kool-Aid, kids! Don't drink the Kool-Aid! 

Here's the Word of the Day:

re·pug·nant

1.

distasteful, objectionable, or offensive: a repugnant smell.

2.

making opposition; averse.

3.

opposed or contrary, as in nature or character.

The Window Bank

I took this picture a few weeks ago and never posted it.  I have a bowl of change on my dresser. Carson and Dylan love to get it down and stick each coin into Logan's bank.  Once they finish, they dump it out and start over.  Money is about the filthiest thing that you can touch, so I have to say that I am not crazy about this game, but they only do it once in a while and I stand there armed and ready with a bottle of hand sanitizer.  My mom said that people at church used to give me change to play with when I was a baby.  She said that I choked on so many nickels that she couldn't count.  Apparently she wouldn't know that some old lady had slipped me a quarter and I would just start choking and turning blue.  When I heard that story I thought WHY in the WORLD would you give children money to play with?  It’s now apparent to me that these people had experienced children who didn’t eat everything that they touched.  I didn’t know such children existed after having Logan and Lindsey.  Logan found a dime on the floorboard of the car when he was three.  He swallowed it and started choking in the Chick-fil-a parking lot. Don freed his airway as I stood frozen and panicked.  Logan and Lindsey put everything into their mouths.  I swear, Carson and Dylan never put anything in their mouths that isn’t obviously edible.....or their pacifier—they never have.  I find this to be unusual, but a blessing.  A lot of the baby-proofing that I did for Carson and Dylan turned out to be superfluous, but you would have done the same if you had experienced Logan as a small child.   I didn't know that the boys would be so good and have such a strong understanding of “no”, “yucky”, and “dangerous” at such a young age, because Logan never grasped it.  Carson and Dylan also don't pick their noses like most kids.  If they ever need their noses wiped they say "tissue?"  They also say “yucky” and squish their faces to show that they find something gross.  They know that it's nasty to pick their nose or touch their snot or do anything disgusting like that—they always have.  Thank God for that, because it is so gross.  It’s totally normal behavior and I don't fault a child with a finger up his nose, but it’s still gross. 

This reminds me of another story…..Dylan was blowing bubbles with some kids at cheerleading practice last week.  He started to drink the bubbles!  He stopped as soon as he tasted it.  It was funny.

Anyway, I thought that I should post this picture.  As time passes you tend to forget details about your children and I am using this blog as a way to document for mine.  The night that they were stuffing change into the window sill was one of those nights that we had exhausted all other forms of entertainment and I wouldn’t have cared if they were hanging from the chandelier.  The coins are still there, by the way.  They couldn't get them back out. 

Here's the Word of the Day:

irrefragable \ih-REF-ruh-guh-buhl\, adjective:

Impossible to refute; incontestable; undeniable; as, an irrefragable argument; irrefragable evidence.

It's Officially Fall!

Today is Ashli and Tyson's 29th birthday!  Happy birthday, Ash and Ty!  Your big sister loves you and wishes she could be with you to celebrate your LAST 20-something birthday!  I hope that you guys have a great day and eat lots of cake!  I posted a picture of your beautiful, screaming faces below.  

Ash, Britt and Ty

Not only is it my brother and sister's birthday, but today is the first day of fall.  Spring and fall are definitely my favorite seasons.  I hate the fact that I am allergic to all things blooming during the two, but I love the changing colors and nice, cool temperatures.  I love getting out fluffy sweatshirts, I love taking walks, I love the holidays.  One thing that I really hated about living in Florida is that nothing ever changed.  It was green all year.  Don't get me wrong, I still hate being cold and I complain constantly about freezing temperatures, but I like sweatshirt weather.  Georgia's summers have been so awful for the past two or three years that you can't even go outside, so for the first time in my life I have begun to hate summer weather and look forward to fall.  Not only has the heat and humidity been unbearable in the summer, but we haven't actually had a fall or spring for at least a couple of years.  It's winter, and then it'll feel like spring for a week and then BAM!  It's summer.  It's 95 degrees until November and them BAM!  It's winter and we are snowed in and the kids are sledding down the street.  It's bizarre.  I'm excited because I think that we are actually going to have a fall this year because it has been cooling off a bit.  Also, Chris Farley, our furry fat squirrel friend in the attic, has been scratching around for at least a month. If you recall, we never shot him or set up a trap, so he's still up there, getting fat and thumping around.  Maybe he knows something that I don't and he is preparing for a cold winter?

By the way, why aren’t the seasons given the respect of being considered proper nouns?  I think that winter, spring, summer and fall should be treated as people and capitalized.  It doesn’t make sense to me that they are not capitalized.  I have respect for grammar and the English language, sometimes to others’ detriment, but I have to disagree about this one.  When you are referring to a season, I think it should be capitalized!  Of course, I will follow the stupid rule like I always try to do, but it doesn’t make sense.  Also, why does fall get two names?  Is autumn greedy or something?  Why don't the other seasons get two names as well?  If I had to give the other seasons names I would name summer Hot as Hell,  winter, Cold, Dead, and Boring,  and spring, Phantom of the Season.  (Of course, those are all perfect for Georgia.)  My niece, Amelie, calls the seasons Leaves Falling, Snow Falling, Sprinkle Time.  I don't know what she calls summer.

Just a side note, Logan has been calling me "The Grammar Police" and he is intentionally saying things incorrectly, just to irritate me.  He said that he was going to start saying "vanilla woffers" instead of "wafers" and I told him that he'd sound like a weirdo.  He calls me OCD and mocks me with a high voice.  He says "No!  It has to be like this, not that, with a little bow on it!  Everything has to be this way, all organized and pretty!  And you can't say it like that, that's grammatically incorrect!  Blah blah blah!"  Can you believe that kid?  It reminded me of the time that he came home with Lindsey  from Pre-K and said that a kid had said the "A" word.  They were both upset that someone had cussed at school; it was a big, dramatic situation.  After some prying, I couldn't figure out what they were talking about because it was clear that it wasn't "ass", so I gave them permission to say the word.  They said "Mommy, he said AIN'T!"  I wanted to explode into laughter, but I couldn't because at one point I had said to them "If I ever catch you saying that word, I will be very upset!  Don't ever let me hear you say 'ain't' because it is not a word!"   I did clear it up.  I explained that it wasn't a swear word, but that it wasn't a proper word.  I'll never forget what their precious little, squishy faces looked like as they learned about slang.  Logan is still cute, but he is such a smart alec!  I wonder where he gets that from.

I thought that I would post some pretty fall pictures.  These were probably taken in Maryland.   Maryland has the most beautiful fall. 

Here's the Word of the Day:

rap·ine

the violent seizure and carrying off of another's property; plunder.

Pretty Girls

Yesterday we made a list of things to do on a rainy day because the weather forecast for this week has been awful.  We came up with the following:

1. Write letters of appreciation to soldiers
2. Write thank you notes and make cookies for the local the firemen
3. Treasure Hunt
4. Play Twister
5. Have a tea party
6. Play charades
7. Put on a play

Instead of doing these things, Grant and Logan played Playstation, the baby boys played with cars, and Hanna, Lindsey and Finley put on costumes.  I curled the girls' hair and put blush and lipstick on them.  Here are some pictures of the beautiful girls:

Me and Carson, just for kicks

By the way, Hanna and Lindsey DID end up making cards for the firemen down the street.  When we dropped them off, the firemen asked the kids if they wanted to see the firetruck.  They took them on the truck, showed them around, even gave them fireman hats.  It was so cool and the kids loved it.  We got ice-cream afterward.

By the way, did you know that ice-cream is not supposed to be hyphenated anymore?  It is just two separate words now.  Well I refuse!  That looks bizarre and I hate it!  Ice cream should be ice-cream.  If you look it up it says "formerly and properly known as ice-cream." Well, I am sticking to what works.  What is that monstrosity???

Here's the Word of the Day:

bour·geois

1.

a member of the middle class.

2.

a person whose political, economic, and social opinions are believed to be determined mainly by concern for property values and conventional respectability.

3.

a shopkeeper or merchant.

Pan Am

ABC is airing a new show next Sunday called "Pan Am" and I am so excited to watch it!  I love this era.....when girls were girly and didn't have equal rights.  I'm totally kidding......I just like the fashion and red lips.

http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/pan-am/SH014194950000/PL55126738/VD55142987/behind-the-style-and-glamour-of-pan-am/behind-the-scenes?cid=email_091811_bestof2

By the way, for those of you who follow Lindsey's blog, she posted last night if you want to read it.

Here's the Word of the Day:

phi·lan·der

intr.v. phi·lan·dered, phi·lan·der·ing, phi·lan·ders

1. To carry on a sexual affair, especially an extramarital affair, with a woman one cannot or does not intend to marry. Used of a man.

2. To engage in many love affairs, especially with a frivolous or casual attitude. Used of a man.

The Unconventional Geniuses

I told the kids that we would go to the park and pack a picnic this afternoon, but it’s going to rain all day.  I am taking them to the library instead.  I love the library.  It makes me feel like a kid again.  I always have a hard time choosing though and leave with like 27 books…..way more than you can read in a two week time period!  I usually get two or three for me (which is unrealistic when you have small children) and then the rest are books for the kids.  Last April after Carson had surgery on his leg and we had read all of the books in the house and put all of the puzzles together, we walked to the library.  I pushed the boys in my jogging stroller as usual, two miles, up and down hills— but on the way back when the basket was filled with books I remember thinking “Um yeah, this was not a good idea.”  I’m a little crazy sometimes. 

As some of you know, I write children’s books, so the link to the article that I have pasted below was really interesting to me.  I know that a lot of you won’t read it because it just isn’t your cup of tea, but those of you who do read it will find it amazing that at one point in time Dr. Suess was considered unconventional!  He’s THE book for children these days, but it wasn’t always so.  I love when people challenge the status quo; great things can happen.  The author also talks about Shel Silverstein—one of my favorites when I was younger.  My mom used to play the tapes in the car and we had all of his books.  I bought one for Peyton a few years ago because I thought he’d enjoy the zaniness.   I love Silverstein because he dares to think like a child.  There’s a gift in remembering how children think once you are grown and he definitely bears that gift.  They also refer to Maurice Sendak, author of “Outside Over There”.  This was one of the most intriguing books to me when I was a kid.  I couldn’t figure it out, and therefore I loved it.  I read it over and over trying to figure out what it meant.  I never did get any concrete answers, but I was constantly curious.  In my opinion, curiosity is what you want a children’s book to evoke.  According to this article in New York Times, that wasn’t always the case. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/books/review/the-childrens-authors-who-broke-the-rules.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Here’s the Word of the Day:

acme \ACK-mee\, noun:

The highest point of something; the highest level or degree attainable.

Case of the Mondays

Do you remember that annoying lady in "Office Space" who says "Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays"?  I always feel like saying that on Mondays, just to be irritating.  That movie is still so funny to me.  What the heck!  If you want to hear her say it, here ya go.......

http://youtu.be/ChfIyHZqEd8

The kids are out of school this week.  I will have Logan, Lindsey, Carson, Dylan, Finley and Finley's school-age brother and sister.  Grant is 8 and Hanna is 10.  Total it up!  I am keeping SEVEN, I repeat, SEVEN children all day, all week.  I am really not concerned.  We're going to have fun.  We're going to the park, having picnics, playing outside......it'll be lots of fun.  If anyone fights or gives me a headache, they will sit in the corner alone until they can be pleasant.  (I guarantee that it will be my own kids sitting in the corner.)  I will have to go to the gym either in the morning before everyone wakes up, or at night.  I didn't go this morning because I was tired.  I know one thing for sure and that is that I have to go every day this week or I will get grouchy.  For the kids' sake I will make sure I go.

Have a great Monday!  Here's the Word of the Day:

revenant \REV-uh-nuhnt\, noun:

One who returns after death (as a ghost) or after a long absence.

Power of the Older Sibling

Logan hurt his ankle in the game yesterday, but he went back in shortly after sitting out. One of the coaches later told me that he asked Logan if he was absolutely sure that he was ok.  Logan replied "My brother hasn't been here in a while and I don't want him to just see one play.  I want to go back in."  He wanted to impress Peyton.  Being the oldest sibling in my family, I don't think that I ever realized how much younger siblings look up to their older brother or sister.  It's so adorable.  Logan has always looked up to Peyton and so does Lindsey.  Lindsey is having a hard time dealing with the fact that Peyton is a teenager.  She's 10, he's 13, and the gap hasn't ever been larger than it is right now.  She still wants to play with him, but he just chills like a teenager.  I think that they'll have more to do together when she too is a teenager; it's just hard right now for them to hang out. 

The coach who told me about what Logan said was about to leave for the airport with his family.  They were flying to Italy. I told them that like 15 things on my bucket list have to do with Italy.......one of them is to steal a pebble from the Coliseum.  They said that they would get me one, since they are staying in Rome.  Oh, to leave for Italy..........

I hope that everyone is having an excellent weekend!  Here's the Word of the Day:

pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.

A Nugget of Snobbery

I went to Alabama yesterday to pick up Peyton.  On the way to get him I had to stop to get gas.  I always say that I am not a snob, and in many ways, I am not a snob. There are moments, however, when I realize that I sort of am.  I always try to stop at a busy exit where there will be a lot of gas stations and food to choose from.  I also do this to avoid stopping in a town that looks as if people disappear mysteriously.  Yesterday I kept waiting for a busy exit, but there weren’t any, so I had no choice to pull over and get gas in the middle of nowhere. As I pumped my gas, I began to wonder if there was a nuclear power plant nearby because some of the people would have looked normal with arms coming out of the sides of their heads.  Isn’t that a terrible thing to say? 

This reminds me of a time that I stopped at KFC with Don somewhere in the middle of nowhere and I sarcastically asked him if there was a nuclear power plant nearby because the workers were so strange.  He said “Actually, there is.”  I got my chicken sandwich and bit into bread.  I opened up the sandwich and there was A NUGGET of chicken in the middle of the bun.  Don and I started laughing.  I had to go up to the counter and ask the manager for a piece of chicken instead of the nugget.  He laughed and showed the employees.  The employees looked confused.  I’m sorry, but that is funny.  It was really funny. 

I have to get ready for Logan and Lindsey’s game.  Have a great Saturday!  By the way, Peyton is now at least a head taller than I am.  And I am 5’3. 

Here’s the Word of the Day:

postprandial \post-PRAN-dee-uhl\, adjective:

Happening or done after a meal.

How We're Rollin'......

My friend Katie and I were texting back and forth yesterday; it was the usual random conversation.  I was teasing her for liking Michael McDonald, we discovered that we both love Hall and Oates, she was telling me how sad she is that her little boy is now in school all day, and we were talking about how weird it is that Logan’s too cool to dress up for Halloween this year.  I told her that I bought a shirt that says “That’s How I Roll” for my 70’s roller girl costume (my sister and I are dressing up for Halloween), and I told her that I also wanted to buy her one.  The reason that I want to buy her a shirt that says “That’s How I Roll” is because of something funny that she did a few years ago.  I have been meaning to jot this story down somewhere so we don’t forget, so here I am, sharing it with you on a random day when there isn’t much going on. 

I had gone up north to visit my mom in Milwaukee.  One night Katie and I decided to go out for a couple of drinks.  We went to Bar Milwaukee, a dirty, plastic cup and sticky-floor kind of place.  It used to be fun, back in the days of 50 Cent, but we were sort of grossed out by it and realized that we had grown up…..that is, until “Baby Got Back” came on.  We danced to Sir Mix-a -Lot and decided that it was time to go.  As we were leaving, a guy grabbed me and started talking.   I said “No, married, not interested, blah blah blah” and Katie was still walking.  She realized that I was no longer there, so she came back, got in his face and yanked my arm.  She said “She isn’t interested, and trust me…..neither are you.  We are both married, we both have kids. SHE has twins.”  Then something classic came out of her mouth.  She said “We make people……that’s how we roll.” The guy sat there not knowing what to say and Katie and I left.  I was laughing so hard, I went home and told everyone what she said and it went into the Verbal Lynching Hall of Fame in our household.  Oh, she cracks me up.  We make people, that’s how we roll.  Awesome.

Yesterday after Pilates, I took the kids to McDonald's to play.  This picture is too cute not to share.  Here's precious little Dylan, enjoying his fries.  Finley is sitting next to him.

This one is from a few days ago.  Carson scooted his chair next to Finley's because he wanted to sit right up next to her. 

Today I am going to the gym, cleaning out my car (because I was too lazy yesterday), and going to Alabama to get Peyton, so I have to get going. 

Here are a couple of Hall and Oates videos, just for fun.  Oh my gosh, CHEESE!  I love the 80’s!  It makes me think of my parents when they were my age. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anLfoy2XsFw

http://youtu.be/sz2W3QfXnHc

If you recall, yesterday's Word of the Day was "baccanalia".  It was defined as the ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus.  Who or what the heck is Bacchus, right?  Am I the only one who didn't know that yesterday?  Well, I looked it up.  In lieu of a word for today, here is a brief description of Bacchus:

Bacchus is the Roman god of wine and intoxication, equated with the Greek god, Dionysus.   The festival or "orgies" (that's nice, gotta love the Greeks) were introduced in 200 BCE.  These orgies got so out of hand that they were eventually banned by the Roman Senate in 186 BCE.  Euripides wrote a play about the festivals called "The Bacchae".  Just an extra note.....apparently, Dionysus is the red-headed step-child of the Greek gods. He is hardly mentioned and he's bitter about it, according to my reading.  I remember reading about him in World Literature, but I don't remember where. 

Shot Nerves, Dreams of Paris, and Bios

We made it to Thursday, which is what I say every Thursday because Wednesdays are so difficult.  Yesterday I was a bit more frazzled than usual, but it was due to Carson.  He has been very territorial and wants me all to himself.  He has been walking around hitting Dylan and stealing his toys, which means he’s been constantly in trouble.  He is usually nice to Finley (the little girl that I watch) but he has been rotten to her the last couple of days as well—stealing her toys.  It looks like a cat scratched Dylan’s face because Carson nearly clawed his cheek off, and I have been so tired at the end of the day from separating them and from hearing screaming.  I don’t know what is going on with Carson this week, but he is not himself.  I think he may be tired.  He is sleeping a lot and seems to be catching up.  Before I got all of the kids into the car for practice yesterday, I screamed “BE QUIET!  I want TWO minutes of silence.  I don’t want to hear ANYONE talk for TWO WHOLE MINUTES!”  They gave it to me, and it helped me to gather my composure.  One of my friends asked if I was mad at her yesterday.  I apologized and told her that it wasn’t her, but that my nerves were shot.  I felt horrible about that.  I am usually cheerful and I hate being irritated.  At least someone notices; I guess that means that I am usually in a good mood.  It's better than someone saying "Why are you so happy today?" 

I woke up around 2:30 this morning and watched Charlie Rose interview Ina Caro.  I smiled through the whole show.  She is delightful.  She is married to Robert Caro, a biographer, and they met when she was 16.  The moment she saw him she said “I am going to marry him one day.”  I assume that they are in their seventies, and yet they still seem to be so in love— I just found it so adorable.    Her main role has been researching for Robert’s award-winning biographies.  She said that when he is working, he doesn’t talk about what he is writing or it won’t come out right on the page, so she just gathers information without knowing what he is looking for.  They travel to Paris constantly and she wrote a book called “The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France”.  When I go to Paris I am totally getting this book.  I am definitely getting it for my sister so she can use it the next time she goes to Paris.  The book is designed so that you wake up in Paris every day, take a train to a destination somewhere in France, and you are back by dinner.   The sites are to be seen chronologically.  I think that I am going to learn French or Italian while I drive around in the car.  That way when Don and I move to Italy or France, we’ll know how to function.  HAHA!  We always say that we’re moving together once our kids are grown, but it’s a joke.  We’d never be able to leave our kids, even if they are grown.  We want to be that old couple who has a thousand grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I may not be moving to France any time soon, but I think that I am going to start reading more biographies.  I really enjoy them.  I would read them more than I do, but I love fiction so much that I don’t tend to share my time with non-fiction.  I think that you can learn a lot from biographies.  First of all, every person is fascinating—I don’t care WHAT you do or WHO you are…..every person is fascinating and has something interesting to share.  I love people and their stories.   Also, I love different perspectives on the same event.  I think that’s why I was watching so much 9/11 stuff last week.  I am really interesting in hearing different viewpoints on the same event.  I have talked about this book called “Fingersmith” for years now, and I still don’t think that ANYONE I’ve told to read it has read it yet.  (That’s a shame.)  One girl tells the story the way she sees it.  Then halfway through the book another character starts the story over through her perspective and it is so cool because it is shockingly different than the first.

 By the way, I also watched half of a biography on Andre the Giant after the Charlie Rose interview.  You want to know why I was awake in the first place?  A junk email came through to my inbox and my phone made a noise.  And you want to hear something crazy?  My phone is on vibrate.  It vibrated ONE time on the nightstand and I woke up.  Am I a light sleeper, or what?  My alarm clock is ridiculous.  It is a series of vibrations, no ringtone at all.  That's how I wake up at 5:45 every morning......vibrations on the nightstand.  This morning, however, it was on the leather ottoman because I came downstairs to watch TV when I couldn't sleep.  I still woke up even though my phone was on a soft surface!  It's so weird!

Today I am going to Pilates, cleaning out my car, doing laundry, and taking Lindsey to dance.   Tomorrow I am driving to Birmingham to pick Peyton up for the weekend.  I am leaving the kids here, so I get to listen to a book on CD.  We have a DVD system in the car, so I don’t even really get to listen to music when I drive anymore.  (I am not complaining…..that DVD system makes driving with that many kids possible.)  It’ll be nice to have not only peace and quiet, but to listen to something that I want to listen to. 

Here’s the Word of the Day:

bacchanalia \bak-uh-NAIL-yuh\, noun:

1. (plural, capitalized) The ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus, celebrated with dancing, song, and revelry.
2. A riotous, boisterous, or drunken festivity; a revel.

Absolute Stupidity

I didn’t watch Dr. Phil yesterday because I never watch that show, but now I wish I would have.  He interviewed Casey Anthony’s parents.  There have been times that I have felt sorry for them, but after hearing some of these clips, there is no doubt that they are guilty of absolute stupidity.  Here’s a link to clips of the interview….

http://drphil.com/shows/show/1678

I don’t need to repeat the reasons why they are stupid for believing their daughter, but there is one lie in particular that I find most amusing.  How in the world could they ever believe that a single mom living with her parents could afford a NANNY?  They are just complete fools.  And now they are saying that she had post-partum schizophrenia????  You’ve got to be kidding me.  Brain tumor?  Seizures?  Oh, give it up, Cindy.  Your daughter sucks as a human being.  I can't imagine how hard this has been for her, but enough is enough. 

I watched something on the Biography channel a couple of days after Casey was let out of jail and they talked about a lot of lies that Casey had told her mother before she had Caylee.  According to this show, Casey knew in January that she was not going to graduate from high school but continued to act as if she were until May.  Cindy kept asking where her cap and gown were and Casey finally told her the truth TWO DAYS before the ceremony.  Instead of allowing her daughter to look like a lying fool, Cindy covered it up.  Cindy continued to let relatives come into town for her ceremony, knowing that Casey would not be graduating.  Who does that?  The show also said that Cindy wasn't telling anyone that Casey was pregnant and when Casey's uncle asked why everyone was ignoring the fact that Casey was pregnant,  Cindy said that she wasn't pregnant and that the bump was a tumor.  So it looks like the apple does not fall far from the tree.  I think that Cindy and Casey were both weirdos and liars before Caylee's death. 

Here's another link to an article from ABC News and video clip from The View.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/cindy-anthony-blames-seizures-postpartum-illness-caseys-behavior/story?id=14512067

And here's the Word of the Day:

fey \FAY\, adjective:

1. Possessing or displaying a strange and otherworldly aspect or quality; magical or fairylike; elfin.
2. Having power to see into the future; visionary; clairvoyant.
3. Appearing slightly crazy, as if under a spell; touched.
4. (Scots.) Fated to die; doomed.
5. (Scots.) Marked by a sense of approaching death.