And a partridge in a pear tree...

As promised, Copper has gotten me OUT OF THE MAN CAVE! Not just a wireless router - but a new computer too! He has a total "get out of jail free card" with me... not that he was ever in the doghouse... he's a super great husband all the time!

Tater-tot had a great Christmas. He got exactly what he wanted from Santa - and has barely played with it since (ha ha)

We got him a small figure-8 slot car track - Uncle L (my bro-in-law) got him a super cool HUGE Transformers slot car track.

Since we knew that Grandma (my mom-in-law) was getting him a V-Smile V Motion we got him a game for it...

We did have some unfortunate duplicate gifting, so his one present from Mommy and Daddy was a $7.00 action figure! Ah well - he'll get some cool stuff from us once the returns are complete...

And of course - that's not really what Christmas is all about anyway, right!?!?

I've been charged with listing 7 interesting/weird/random facts about myself. Tagged by Eternal Sunshine

I'm tagging these 7: Merrie Melody, Betty at Keeper of the Skies Wife, Connie at Tales from the Fridge, Dawnmski at Yes This is How My Mind Works, Lisa at Diapers to Dating, Qweenie at Qweenie's Court and Holly at Anglophilefootballfanatic who just had a birthday and is a friend of Eternal Sunshine's (I may not get everyone's comments letting them know they are tagged in until monday - as we speak the family is descending for the first of several holiday celebrations)

Here are the rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules in your post.

• Share seven random/weird facts about yourself.

• Tag seven random people and link to their blogs.

• Let each person know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment in their blog.

SO.... HERE WE GO...

1. I've traveled to 5 different countries on 3 continents. I've been to England and France (Europe), South Africa and Tanzania (Africa), and Canada (North America). Oddly - I live in Texas and have never been to Mexico.

This is a mountain top view of Iringa, Tanzania... not how you'd expect Africa to look, huh?

2. I have played multiple musical instruments including flute, oboe, percussion, piano, and guitar. (Truly a "jack of all trades-master of none).

3. I married my cousin... and my sister... no, really... I'm a licensed minister and officiated both of their ceremonies...

4. My husband (and I, by default) collect Looney Tunes memorabilia and collectibles. A handpainted Daffy Duck figurine taken from the "Alibaba Bunny" episode is considered a sound investment in our future in this house (given the state of things today - more people may be trying out this retirement plan)

5. I picked my major in college by determining what I could pick and still get done in 4 years without having to take any more math or science classes than I'd already taken...

6. I worked for 2 summers as "wrangler" at a summer camp... that's right... I taught riding lessons and lead trail rides and shoveled poop and the whole shebang. Truly a Texas cowgirl.

7. I love Cherry Sours... love doesn't do it justice... I must have them... I get emotional when the bag is at half empty and I must face the fact that I will soon run out... I shop all the stores in town to make sure I know who has the best brands and prices... not all Cherry Sours are created equal.


Bonus weird fact: I'm related by blood to Eternal! And she's the one that started me blogging. Which means that, yes - I grew up eating bananas and fritos (seriously, people, don't knock it until you've tried it) and Lucky and Dumplin' and Chicken Surprise... Of course we didn't REALLY have a rabbit named Lucky - if we had - it wouldn't have really been funny - just sick and twisted... (If you are confused by this - read HER 7 FACTS.)

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

As promised I have below my 10 favorite things list... compliments of Betty at Keeper of Skies Wife I was assigned the letter "F."

If you want to participate visit Betty's blog and leave her a message. She'll let you know your letter. If you let me know about it when you post I'll link to it too!

10 Favorite things beginning with the letter "F"

1. Food - any and all - in its many varied and beautiful forms... Copper makes some really great dishes - he's the cook in the family! I've listed some specific "F" foods at the end of the post. Alas - my love of food has sent me packing to Weight Watchers... Its a food adict's verson of AA (except we can't quit cold turkey... mmm turkey... )

2. Friends - both old and new, physical and virtual (Internet)... they are the salt that makes life interesting and preserves my sense of humor, sense of worth, and sense of reality.

3. Four-year-olds (more specifically - MY FOUR YEAR OLD) not necessarily any other four year olds... although some others are okay too... and at his next birthday we can change this to five-year-olds.

Tater-tot at a family wedding and on crazy hair day at school.

4. Family - Most specifically my husband, Copper, and son Tater-tot - but of course - Eternal (she's my sister) and her crew, Dad and R, Mom and B, extended family and the heritage and legacy that they have given me.

Dad, my step-mom, R (holding Mater) Monkey and my step-dad, B (yes the steps and exes all get along remarkably well and often intermix with each other and in-laws for family events...






Me, Copper and Tater-tot when he was just a wee thing. Note Copper's very hippie hair cut - its a thing of the past now!








My mom and Eternal aren't pictured not because I don't love them - just couldn't find a pic in the time allotted...

5. Force (as in our local police force) - May God protect our men and women in blue. If they'd wanted to be well liked and revered by all as heros they'd have become firefighters but instead they stand between us and the evils of the world and say "I'm not going to let anything hurt you. Not on my watch!"

My husband, Copper.

6. Faith - in God, in others, in the goodness of mankind, in myself that maybe I'm getting it right more often that I think.

7. Films (yes, more traditionally called MOVIES - but I'm working with the letter "F" here) They open a world of insights, points of view, humor, adventure and imagination to us.

8. Freedom

9. Fudge, Fun-dip, (technically these are candy - not food so its not a repeat to mention them.)

10. Flavored sunflower seeds (Nacho Cheese) and Flavored Peanuts (Cajun) - Okay so these are a food and thus a repeat... but they still deserve their own category... Sadly - since I called technicality on flavored seeds/nuts and candy you can now tell how much I truly do LOVE food! So pathetic!

A few bonus F's - Fritos, Funyuns, fondue, France, furniture, firewood.

Shout out to friends - and some holidy photos

I was recently inspired by Merrie Melody and her extensive photo posts of great Christmas Decorations... I've taken some photos of my own and am putting them below for your enjoyment.

Melody was also the person that introduced me to Betty over at Keeper of the Skies Wife. She has an ongoing 'game' of assigning letters to anyone who wants one and then that person posts their 10 favorite things starting with that letter. Melody was given the letter "E" and you an see her 10 favorite things here.

If you want to play leave a comment at Betty's blog saying that you want to play along, and she'll send you a random letter. Then you can make a list of your ten favorite things that begin with your assigned letter.

I'll be posting my 10 favorite things beginning with the letter "F" very soon!

By the way - Betty posted some pretty great Christmas photos recently so check those out too.

Now to my photos:

My father-in-law drew this pencil sketch of Santa Claus years before I met my husband (he passed on before we ever met) but he was clearly gifted. My brother-in-law had this framed for us a few years ago.

This is a soldier ornament that I made in 1st grade... Eternal - do you still have yours? We had the same 1st grade teacher!

I think I made this little reindeer the same year - 1st grade.

The next few photos are of our snow village... we collect a few new pieces each year.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Tater-ism...

In the car... as usual (he says the greatest stuff there!)

Tater-tot: Mommy, when we get home can I have a tomato?
Me: Why do you want a tomato?
Tater-tot: I'm going to squish it flat like we did in church today?
Me: Ummm... you squished a tomato flat in church? (what kookie tradition is that?)
Tater-tot: Uh-huh...

Me: Oh - you want to squish Play-doh?
Tater: Yea, Play doh!

How I knew that Tomato was Play-doh - I really don't know... it truly was an epiphany from on High...

I'm declaring Mondayto be "Photo Phunday!"

Let me just say... BRRRR... Night two of the hayride was every bit as cold at night one. But we had fun anyway. Here's a pic of me and Tater-tot braving the cold for the sake of Christmas Spirit.

And here... is Tater-tot's very first Santa picture ever! I know, what mother let's her kid get to be 4-years-old before letting him get his picture taken with Santa!?!?! I promise it wasn't intentional... just one of those things...

Tater-tot now believes that Santa is his best friend as they spent the better part of two nights "hanging out" together while mommy worked at the hayride... (Kudos to Santa for staying in character for the sake of my little boy!)

A Very Cold Hayride!

This is the county courthouse for the town where we work and go to school... It's beautiful isn't it. At Christmas they put lights all over it and run strings of lights from the top to all the businesses that surround it on the square... you can see it for miles!

Last night, on a VERY COLD hayride through town looking at lights Tater-tot saw this building and said:

"Momma! Who lives in that house!?!? It's huge!"

Everyone on the hayride laughed with us as I tried to explain that it was a courthouse and that no-one lived there.

(I tried to find a picture of it at night with the lights but wasn't able to. Should have taken my camera with me last night!)


Also, while waiting at the historic depot building for our turn on the hayride I told Tater-tot that daddy was working and that he was at the hospital.




Tater-tot: Oh no, is he hurt?
Me: No, he's watching a bad guy who's hurt.
Tater-tot: Did Daddy shoot him?

Awwww.... Pickles....

This is what Tater-tot says when anything doesn't go his way... his version of "aww shucks" I'm guessing he gets it from a tv show.... but maybe he came up with it on his own?!?!?

He's been telling me he doesn't want to go to school a lot lately... there has been a lot of turnover lately and I'm not thrilled with his current teachers "what'shername" and "thatothergirl."

So I called another school (that he was waitlisted for) just to see if we'd moved up the list at all and....


(dramatic pause)

He's in! Starting after the holiday break he'll be attending the FBC Academy in the town where I work. It is one of 2 schools that every parent wants their kid to go to... It's run by a retired teacher and most of the teachers there are retired teachers or have formal training in education!

all the other schools in town are just second best and third rate...

No more spending time at school watching TV (yes! They actually watched about an hour and a half a day AT SCHOOL!!!!) No more having teachers fired because they cuss out an upset parent (this actually happened!) No more having teachers fired because the owner finds out about their drug problem (this happened too!) And like I said - this was the best option available in this small town until now!

SO HIP HIP HURRAY for the new school!

Fox

More cute things he's said...

Tater tot - in the parade, on a float shouting over and over to the crowds...

"Very Christmas! Very Christmas!"

In the car to me (with an exasperated tone of voice)

"You are driving my nuts!"

Have a great Monday everybody!

Weekend Update - BEFORE the craziness starts

Okay people - I really still need crafty ideas since my schedule doesn't currently allow for hours browsing my local craft stores! Tater-tot wants to make Christmas presents and we'll get started on them this week so give me ideas... I wish I could offer a prize for the best suggestions but I'm all out of stuff I could use to tempt you!

About the weekend... I think tonight will be our only breather... After Tater-tot goes to bed I've got to dye my hair and cover up all of this gray! But other than that - tonight is clear.

Tomorrow - I have to actually set an alarm - on a Saturday (there should be a law against it!) so we can be at the starting point of our community's Christmas Parade by 8:00 a.m. The parade starts at 11:00 so we will stand around freezing our tuckuses (what's the plural of tuckas?) for 3 hours before things even get underway (okay so its forecast to be in the 40s but I'm a Texan so that IS freezing to me).

Thanks to a brilliant committee of goofballs the parade theme is "team spirit" - What the H - does that have to do with Christmas??? So our float is a football field with "stockings hung by the goal posts with care..." and our kids are dressing like football players and cheerleaders... The grown ups are wearing referee shirts, whistles, and Santa hats.... Nothing says Christmas like "Blue-22, Blue-22, Hut!"

A few hours later - after we've warmed up... I'll start getting ready for the company Christmas party. Copper's working so I'm going solo... but its always a fun event. I actually like most of my co-workers and we always have a good time. They give good prizes too! Once year I won $100 cash and another year I won a digital camera.

Sunday might be a bit more restful even though the Church's Christmas dinner is that night and I'd like to go that won't last too long...

somewhere in there I'll need to do laundry though or by Sunday Tater-tot and I might both be showing up to Church naked!!!!

Fox

A kid named "Le-a"... How do you pronounce that?

Okay - I was at a thing last night and a co-worker told this story - second hand from his daughter who works in a nearby public school.

On the first day of school a new child named Le-a started in their school and they were trying to figure out how to pronounce her name... 'lee-ah' 'lee-ay' etc...

So they call the child's mom who told them (this is his quote of her quote of what the mom said)

"It's 'lee-dash-a.' The dash don't be silent."

*************************************
I'm still looking for good craft-ideas for Tater-tot to make for Christmas gifts... submit your ideas to me - AND if you have crazy name stories - give me those too... we all need a good laugh!

"Mommy... there's a Snake on my Slide!"

Words that send fear into the hearts of all moms!

I donned shoes (big heavy boots) and tried to silence my 'inner Samuel Jackson.'

"Mother-bleeping snakes, on a mother-bleeping slide!"

Turns out it was...
...
...
...
...
Bird poop...

There is nothing more I can say after that...

Still looking for Crafty Ideas

I'm still searching for Crafty Ideas for a 4 year old to do for Christmas presents. He wants to make something for 2 grandpas and 3 grandmas... and hopefully something that they'll actually keep... and maybe even use...

He told me over the weekend that he had a dream ("a cloud in my room while I was sleeping") and in the dream I kicked him out of the house and it hurt his body...

*frown*

I'm actually a really nice mommy.... I promise I am.... maybe I put him to bed without candy or something?!?!?

Tater-isms on turkey day...

watching a marching band in the parade:

Tater-tot: Here mommy, here are you some bee-oculars and me some bee-oculars...
(hands me a Viewmaster and has toy binoculars for himself)
Tater-tot: You just look through your bee-oculars...
(looks through his binoculars)

"WOW!!! There's GIRLS!"

Happy Thanksgiving

In honor of Thanksgiving... things I'm thankful for... (and these are not in order of importance or priority - just the order I thought of them).

Copper (husband)
Tater-tot (son)
Stretch (dog)
Lillith (cat)
Home
Job
Health
God
Family
Friends
Cyber-friends (yes, you!)
Community who gives so much to others
Military
Law Enforcement
Church family
Co-workers (most of them - not the ones that talk on their phones in the bathroom!)
All the little old ladies in my Sunday School class
(Funny story - when I picked my Sunday school the list said it was a "multi-generational" class of women - little did I know that it was women in their 60s, 70s and 80s! But I love them to pieces!)




Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

Craftiness... Ideas needed!

Sorry to have been silent awhile... this 'computer in the man-cave' thing really has thrown me.

Copper's promised to get me a wireless thingy so I can take my laptop anywhere in the house to blog...

The holidays are sneaking up on us. Tater-tot wants to make gifts this year - any suggested craft ideas that aren't too complicated for a 4 year old would be greatly appreciated!

Last night we were reading a book, Tater-tot and I, and he kept getting up and running out of the room (about every third page) and then coming right back again to keep reading...

It took me awhile but then I figured out - he's finally learned that "squeezinging a noise" (passing gas) while sitting on mommy's lap is rude!

He had a "yellow" day yesterday.

(yes his school subscribes to the terribly unimaginative Green, Yellow, Red system of daily discipline...)

On the way home he said he didn't want to be in trouble and I explained to him that he needed to think about that next time he is tempted to dis-obey his teachers and that he may have to have a time out when he gets home but that it was up to Daddy to decide since mommy had to go back to work.

When we got to the house Tater-tot got out of the car and headed inside and I said hi/bye to Copper in the driveway and then headed back to work... he called me later to tell me that Tater-tot had gone straight into the house and to his room and stuck his nose in the corner of his room... without being told.

Fox

When the sun is in your eyes...

Blue 'Diego' sunglasses are in style...

Copper graduates to Phase 3 of Field Training today. He's with his third and final field training officer (FTO). After this he'll have his first FTO back as a "ghost rider" (No, not a silly Nicholas Cage movie).

A Ghost Rider wears plain clothes and just observes, doesn't interfere or back up. Well, I guess the ghost would be armed so he could back up someone in a life or death situation (I hope!)

Anyway - at the very end of all of this I think the Chief of Police will ghost ride with him for a day (kind of like a Final Exam) and then they'll turn him loose...

His 2nd FTO and he were a good pair and Copper learned a lot from him, including some colorful new slang I'd never heard before...

(In my best Forest Gump voice I say, 'they was like peas and carrots').

I'm so super proud of him. He's already doing a great job! Tater-tot still doesn't really understand what Daddy does...

He drives as fast as he wants to... (all of the time, according to Tater-tot)

He helps people who crash their cars...

He takes bad-guys to jail...

Okay - so he's got two out of three right...

Tater-ism

Tater-tot: Momma, I smell something that smells poopie

Me: Did you 'squeeze a noise'? (Tater-tot's own special phrase for passing gas)

Tater-tot: No... I think Mater poo-pooed in the potty at Grammy's house and forgot to flush...

We are 150 miles away from Grammy's and he can smell Mater's poo?!?!
That's disgusting, Mater! (Eternal! What are you feeding that kid?!?!?)

Visions of sugar plums...snickerdoodles... and fish?

Is it bad that in one breath I tell my son that Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus Birthday and in the next breath I threaten that if he isn't good Santa won't bring him toys?

We hade a bake sale at work to raise money for a local area food drive that is happening next week... I've just started advertising but If I have any ad revenues in November I'll donate them to the local food bank that benefits from this drive (so get click happy, people).
Thursday night I made several new recipes all from the book "101 things to do with a Cake Mix"

With cake mixes (and a few ingredients, eggs, oil, butter, vanilla, etc.) I made Chocolate Chip Cookies (note if you do this - don't use salted butter! ick!) Snickerdoodles, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins and Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies... At 10:20 p.m. I decided that I had done enough for one night and stopped short of making Brownies too... Even with Copper and Tater-tot sampling liberally before they went to bed I still brought a lot of stuff for the bake sale.

When we did a sale in May for Relay for Life we raised almost $500. I'm blessed to work in a very generous community! Turns out we did even better this time - topping $400 before noon and breaking $500 for the day!

It's frustrating though to have spent one of Copper's nights off baking all night on Thursday, and last night I had a Chamber of Commerce Fish Fry that I have to go to (I'm on the Board of Directors)... and today he went back on shift... I try to only be busy when he's at work... but that just doesn't seem to work since his shifts keep changing! We won't have the schedule that covers Christmas until the second week of December!!!

The fish fry was a military appreciation thing (we live and work pretty close to a big military installment). The officers who attended were so kind and gracious. Many went to the kitchen as they were leaving to personally thank the Volunteer Fire Fighters who had done all of the cooking for us. (they also responded to two dispatches and had the meal on the table on time! They are amazing!)

Yesterday was Crazy Friday at Tater-tot's school (daycare). They wore pajamas to school... he looked so cute in his CARS PJs and CARS tennis shoes... so matchy, matchy...

While I was at the fish fry he had some good "Daddy time." And since he's learning about police officers at school I'm sure there were tons of great things he said that I missed... maybe Copper will remember a few gems for me to share with everyone...

Speaking of Copper, he moved our computer into his 'man cave' this week so I have to invade his territory of bulletproof vests and guns and badges to blog... don't even get me started!

Fox

Tater-isms

Singing (spontaneously when the Eagles came on the radio)
Tater-tot: E-I-N-G-O, E-I-N-G-O, E-I-N-G-O and Dingo is his name, oh.


(do the Eagles sound like Bingo? See earlier thoughts on Journey)

Random - into the silence...
Tater-tot: Mommy, God is at your college, and God is in the sky, and God is in my heart.

*sigh*

I really didn't intend two posts about religious themes in a row - but the tater-tot is really on a God kick right now. According to him God is almost as strong as Daddy... God is in the sky and God is everywhere...and God is going to fix his broken sun-glasses up in heaven and then give them back to him.

I don't have to work today... (nanny nanny boo boo)

One of the perks of working for a bank. Happy Veterans Day

It was in the news yesterday that Christian monks from different sects got into a brawl outside of Jesus' tomb in Jerusalem. The Israeli swat team was called in to break it up and two monks (one from each sect) were arrested... The news article interviewed a monk named "Father Pakrat" about the incident - I thought to myself - 'I bet when they ordered new hymnals - he didn't throw the old ones away...'

Apparently monks from six different religious traditions share the church which is called Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is rumored to house the site of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Because the different groups can't work together and often disagree it sounds like not much of anything gets done there. The article referenced a ladder that was placed on a ledge near the door in the 19th century - its still there - because no one can decide who has the authority to remove it.

The city government has been after the church for ages to put in a fire exit but they won't because they can't decide where it should go.

I'm not making light of their disagreements - it has in fact put in to perspective some of the disagreements of my own body of faith in the past... we resolved the "we need softer toilet paper in the ladies room" synod of the mid 90's relatively simply now that I think about it.

Anyway - not to end abruptly but my main goal wasn't a diatribe on religious harmony - it was the Pakrat joke (if you missed it - re-read the first paragraph).

Fox

Is this for real?

Stumbled accross the following website Kid in a Box.

It someone who actually sells cardboard boxes as a new and innovative toy for kids. Of course we've all seen our kids play mindlessly for hours with a box... there's even a great Spongebob Squarepants episode all about the box and imagination...

I'm all for encouraging the creative and imaginative play. Someone bought us a new TV or something when my tater-tot was 2 and we turned the box into a play-house. We cut a front and back door in it and he loved it! It sat in our living room behind the sofa for a long time (until we needed to put a peice of furniture back there).

We actually have a box in the garage that his birthday present came in and we are saving it... for just such a time as we have a place to put it so he can have a new playhouse.

But are people really paying $29.95 for a 20-inch square box for their kids!?!?!? And shipping is extra... you have to pay them to ship you an empty box! To be fair they do include a box of crayons too... but come on!

Please tell that I'm not the only one that thinks this is crazy!

As promised - Velma

This is me - as Velma on Halloween. It was a fun day. One co-worker was Waldo, one was the Pope, one was a papparazzo (yes - he took the picture). My boss was a clown and we had one teller (a woman in her 60s) who dressed as a rapper another of our older tellers was a tourist and a younger teller was Snow White and one who was a witch. Oh, and our branch manager was a a vampire. On the wall next to me is our halloween 'pumpkin' decorating contest. We decorated foam cut outs that were shaped like pumpkins... We let our customers vote all week long and mine ended up winning. Here's a picture of it:

It was fun to make! Watching the tater-tot enjoy the Great Pumpkin this fall inspired it too.

So this post doesn't have much too it... I've hit my first dry spell... if you are just dying for something new from me... go back and read the tons of posts I made last week... by next week I fully expect to be out of this funk...

Fox

I am in the wrong line of work!

I recently inquired about hiring an 'inspirational speaker' for a brief talk at a civic dinner... he normally charges $5000. Yes, that's FIVE-THOUSAND DOLLARS for his speaking engagements but because we are small organization not too far from his hometown he is willing to do it for the bargain basement price of $1500. Yes that's FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. My committee was balking at a Mariachi band that charged $300 an hour so I'm thinking we can't afford this guy... and to be fair - this is his total livelihood and he is wonderful... I've known of him for years and he is truly a great speaker... I guess what keeps him from being Chris Farley and "living in a van down by the river" is that he can command such a large fee for his services...

I think I'm pretty clever (don't you just love my modesty!?!?) - and I don't get nervous speaking in front of crowds... I think I've found my new calling! I could really make some good money (even charging less than half what he does!) So far all you've heard from me is sarcasm - but I can do inspirational... really I can!

To book me for future civic events in your area - send me an email!!!

I'm not going to talk about politics!

But I am going to say that I felt very patriotic going to vote today (I always do). Whichever candidates you vote for, nationally, and on the state, county and local levels - be proud of yourself for going and letting your voice be heard today.

I'm in a very "RED" state so regardless how I vote our electoral votes always go the same way... but I never let that stop me (regardless of whether I'm voting red or blue that year) from going to the polls. I just turn my focus instead to the state and local elections and try to educate myself on those candidates too!

I also feel good about taking my tater-tot to the polls with me. It was out of necessity, since Copper had to work... but he was very excited about going with mommy to "float." Even though he didn't know what voting is (and couldn't even say it right) he still had fun and the very kind poll workers gave him an "I Voted" sticker too. More importantly he now knows what a polling site looks like, and what it means to vote.

I remember the first time I went to vote- I'd never even been in a polling place that I can remember. I felt like the new kid walking into the cafeteria on the first day of school... very uncomfortable and out of place... hopefully, by accompanying me, he'll never have that uneasy feeling with letting his voice be heard. Or at least no fear of the unknown situation.

When it was time to leave the tater-tot had decided that 'floating' was way more fun than going to "school" (daycare) and so convincing him that he did have to leave and go to school was a bit of a "challenge."

Is it just coinidence? Too weird for words (and yet - here are words)

In the car... listening to the radio... Tater tot in the back... relative quiet for once... The radio plays a familiar strain... a piano intro...

It's Faithfully by Journey (pause for nostalgic trip back in time)

Before the lyrics even start - Tater-tot starts singing "the wheels on the bus go round and round"

So I'm asking myself - does the intro to Faithfully sound like The Wheels on the Bus?

And then the lyrics start...

Highway run
Into the midnight sun
Wheels go round and round
Youre on my mind
Restless hearts
Sleep alone tonight
Sendin' all my love
Along the wire
They say that the road
Ain't no place to start a family
Right down the line
Its been you and me
And lovin a music man
Ain't always what its supposed to be
Oh girl you stand by me
I'm forever yours...faithfully

NO WAY does a 4-year old know Journey lyrics - but THIS CAN'T BE A COINCEDENCE!?!?!

Happy Halloween! (written late last night... forgot to hit post)

Every year in late September co-workers start talking about Halloween -

Should we dress up? Should we just wear Halloweenie t-shirts? (I'm claiming that Halloweenie is a word-even if it isn't)

I always vote for wearing a costume. I obsess... I shop... I hem... I haw... and then I finally decide... and I don't go half-way. If I'm going to dress up its going to be spectacular... I also DO NOT buy pre-made (read cheaply made) costumes! Not for me - not for my kid... it just seems like a waste of money to pay $15 or $20 for some flammable flimsy thing that will rip at the first sign of rough play.

This year the Tater-tot is wearing a pre-made police man costume but it is Imaginarium brand dress up clothing... made for year round play and much sturdier... and someone else bought it for him!

I do always vote to dress up - but I also feel a bit silly once I'm dressed up and out in public... I mean I work in bank... people trust me with their money and to advise them financially - and I'm dressed like a (whatever).

The following is a list of my best halloween costumes that I've done in the past...
1. Tulip (yes, as a child my mother made a tulip costume for me) If I had a scanner you'd see - the cutest thing ever!
2. Native American. (back then we called it an Indian Princess... "Eternal" was a Pony - and I 'rode' on her back)
3. Lara Croft Tomb Raider (I had the guns, and the "guns" - and more importantly - back then I had the rest of the body *sigh* those were the days)
4. Velma Dinkley from Scooby Doo (wearing this one as I sit here typing!)

The following is a list of costumes I want to do...
1. Tippy Hedron's character from Hitchcock's "The Birds"
2. Rosie the Riveter
3. Lara Croft Tomb Raider-again (I just want to have that body again!)
4. Daphne from Scooby Doo

The following is a list of ideas that I think are clever - even though I'm not on fire to do them myself
1. A Tourist (loud shirt, camera, fanny pack, luggage, straw hat)
2. A Temp (write 98.6 on a t-shirt) Along these same lines, a Pink Slip, and a Black-Eyed Pea ("P" on the shirt black your eye)
3. A Runaway Bride (wedding dress, tennis shoes, sweat bands on wrist and head)
4. A jilted prom-date (prom dress - torn stockings, carrying shoes, mascara running down face)

Let me know your great ideas - maybe next year I'll use one of them!

Fox

Ettiquette

Cell phones do everything these days!

Except - no built in air fresher...

This, more than anything, confirms for me that talking/texting and peeing/pooping should not be done simultaneously.

Not to mention a drop in the toilet will ruin a good bluetooth (even if it does keep working do you really want to wear it on the side of your head?)

When I go to the ladies room (outside of my home, that is - at work, shopping, restaurants, etc.) my focus is on getting in and out without embarrassment (i.e. TP stuck on a shoe) or contraction of a disease. I don't linger, I don't chat with strangers... I rarely chat under/over the stall wall with people I know...

So when I walked into the employee bathroom (a 3 seater that serves 15-20 women from two businesses) and someone - from the other business of course - is in the center stall on the phone I'm totally grossed out.

I go in to a stall (the one next too since she's in the middle) to do what must be done and realize that I can actually hear both sidesr of the conversation. Not that I'm listening! However, I'm in a sense a captive audience (see my Fiber One post if you don't know why!)... and then I realize... and this is the worst...

...she's got an underlying grunt in her words...

(EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!)




...okay I'm back now - I had to go shower...

what else can I say at this point... I hope she drops her phone in the toilet!

NOT the kind of Blackberry Pearls that are supposed to go in there... that's all I'm saying...

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

We love that show here in our house. We have it on Video and DVD. Every year they show it on tv (I think ABC owns the rights now) but they always edit it for time and cut out the great part with snoopy.

Tater-tot watched it 3 times in a row on Monday, once on Tuesday... we skipped Wednesday but I'm sure we'll watch it again tonight!

He calls pathetic Charlie Brown in his ghost costume with all the eye holes in the wrong places "the polka-dotted ghost" and thinks the repetitive "I got a rock" statement is just funny...

He doesn't get the eternal underdog, loser appeal of Charlie Brown... him laughing at the polka-dotted ghost makes me laugh at it... more than I have since I was a kid.

That makes me even more excited to show him the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Christmas shows this year.

Tomorrow we'll be going to the 'boofest' on the town square of the town I work in... Copper's off duty and I doubt Tater-tot will understand why daddy's not wearing HIS police officer "costume."

We keep telling him that if its what you really do for a living its a uniform, not a costume...

I, will of course, be Velma from Scooby Doo. (Jinkies). I'll be sure to enter the wide world of photo uploads next week.

giving in to the pressure... its a "strange" thing...

Okay here is a "STRANGE" story...

Driving in my car - tater-tot in the back... I'm in my own little world until:

Tot: That's strange.... (a few minutes later) that's strange... (and again) that's strange...
(I glance over my shoulder - he's looking out the window at very 'normal' countryside...)
Me: Do you know what that word means?
Tot: No... what does it mean?
Me: Well, strange means... weird.
Tot: Strange is bad?
Me: No, its not bad... its just different.
Tot: I won't say it any more...
Me: No, baby, you can say strange, its not a bad word... I just want you to understand what it means...
Tot: oh...
Me: Strange means different... not the same as something else... uhmm... if you had 5 brown puppies and one white puppy the white puppy would be strange, because he's different from the brown puppies.
Tot: I want a puppy.
Me: No, the puppy is just so I can explain... strange is just anything that's different from other things... its not bad, its just different.
Tot: Can I put a white puppy named Strange in my back yard?
Me: No, we already have a puppy in our yard.
Tot: where is the white puppy?
Me: There is no white puppy...
Tot: (sounding like he might cry) but I love him...
Me (under my breath) I give up...

And I still don't think he really understands what strange means...

I hope the story lived up to your anticipation of it...

11 acorns and a rock

My tater-tot is in daycare - we just call it "school." Yesterday when I picked him up from school he went to his teacher and asked her for his acorns... hmm... she reached in to her pocket and handed him a bunch of acorns...

"Here mommy, I got these for you. They are your present. I got them for your birthday. Put them in your pocket"

At some point on the way home he gave me a rock to go with the acorns... and I realized - my kid, who gets distracted by all things shiny, spent his time on the playground picking up acorns - giving them to the teacher to hold for him and then a few hours later actually remember to retrieve them from her to give to me...

I feel loved.

And as I was about to throw them in the trash - they are just acorns after all - I got sentimental - so they are in a ziplock baggie... a treasure...a reminder. No guarantee that I'll still have them when he gets married or whatever but for now... I'm keeping them...

Oh - and no - its not my birthday...

Fiber Addiction and the 4-year-old mind...

Is the Fiber One industry a scam? I mean I never really thought about an overwhelming need for fiber in my life... until all these products came out and now I'm counting fiber grams like they are gold coins... if I have an "off" day (you know what I'm talking about) I immediately think "did I eat enough fiber yesterday? Did I eat too much?"

On that subject I highly endorse the FiberOne strawberry pop-tarts - they don't taste like cardboard and 1 pastry gives you 20% of your daily allowance of fiber.

I'm of the belief that there are two ways to 'keep things flowing' - fiber and grease... if you eat a high fat diet you don't have to worry about fiber - your lube job is complete... BUT when I started eating healthy (more on that another day) - fiber became a controlled substance for me! Seriously! I ran out of Fiber fruit chews today and my entire lunch hour is now planned around going to buy more- today- because I can't go a day without them!

Changing the subject (I know you are heaving a big sigh of relief on that one!)

How do you explain abstract concepts to a a 4 year old? I've so confused my child that he thinks that "strange" is a white puppy which he hopes will come live in our back yard... (I'll tell that whole story some day soon - see there - I'm making sure you keep checking back because you are asking yourself - how could she have so screwed up that explanation that her kid thinks "strange" is a white puppy).

Last night in the car on the way home my little guy was asking me about something (can't remember what) and I said:

Me: "I have something in mind"
Tot: "You have something for you?"
Me: "No, I have something in mind"
Tot: "You have something for you?"
Me: (realizing that he thinks I'm saying 'mine') "No, I have something in minD-D. It means I have a thought in my head, I have an idea"
Tot: "I don't have a thought in my head"

no comment...

The Maiden Voyage

I'm new to this - inspired by a blogging family member... the dl on me...

I'm a 30-something; mother of 1; banker in Central Texas. I'm married to a police officer (we'll just call him Copper). A nod to the Fox and the Hound (which is the first movie I remember seeing in the theaters as a child) I'm Copper's Fox... Tod (except I'm a chick not a dude) so I guess I'm Vixie... (this is where the analogy breaks down - I'm thinking too hard)

I feel like I've got quirky and witty things to say... we'll see if anyone else agrees... I will be changing names to protect the innocent - and the guilty... Our little one is 4 and says that when he's five he will be big and part of the best father son crime fighting team ever... he also says that when he's five he'll go to college... and that if I get a little bit taller I can be a princess but since I'm not taller I'm just a mommy...

See just sharing all the nuggest of wisdom that he shares will fill a whole blogosphere... right?

So... friends... it begins...

The Fox