100 Things About Me

Apparently, it is customary to write 100 things about yourself on your 100th blog. So, in that tradition. Here is my egocentric stab at myself:

1. Scared of the dark and of tornadoes
2. Always use my turn signal (even when turning into the driveway)
3. Horrible road rage
4. Love to clip coupons
5. Have only had 3 headaches in my entire life
6. Never had the flu or a cold
7. Only called in sick 1 day since starting work at age 16
8. Never been in a fist fight
9. I love what I do for a living
10. I have a great memory of useless facts and information
11. Love to read murder mysteries and hate romance novels
12. Love to watch Forensic Files and Snapped
13. Can quote almost every episode of Seinfeld
14. Can perform a one man monologue of the entire 1st vacation movie
15. There are appoximately 24 movies I could watch over and over
16. Cannot go #2 in a public bathroom
17. I always speed....way over the limit
18. I love a good thunderstorm
19. I drink way too much Diet Coke and coffee
20. Too obsessed with my weight
21. Stopped using debit card because could not keep up with spending
22. Love to sell things on Ebay
23. I am an only child and grandchild on my paternal side
24. Only snuck out of the house once growing up.
25. Never took parents car without permission
26. Always threw parties when parents where out of town.
27. I am a social butterfly
28. Unfortunately, I care what people think
29. I have a full gym in my home I have to force myself to use.
30. Love to garden (non-vegetables)
31. Love home improvement stuff and I do it myself
32. Only have a handful of really close girlfriends
33. I try to not worry about things and let the chips fall where they may
34. I was the undefeated raquetball champion on a women's league in Sumner county
35. Love anything that makes me sweat
36. Particularly strong for a girl without being masculine
37. Miss living in a big town
38. Miss rush hour traffic and have no idea why
39. I am semi-addicted to the internet
40. Played the flute for seven years
41. I love gin martini's a little dirty
42. I have way too many shoes, coats and purses
43. I could eat pizza, hamburgers, and fries every day
44. I am scared to fly even though I have done it a thousand times.
45. Bluebird is my favorite avian.
46. Obsessed with my children eating too much sugar.
47. Use my clothes dryer 10 minutes per load, any more than that is a waste of resources
48. Recycle everything and feel guilty when I dont
49. Love Target and hate Walmart
50. Cannot watch scary movies
51. Love to roll loose change
52. Wish I had more money to travel
53. I dont bite my fingernails, I just bite at them
54. Toenails and feet should be kept at all times, even in the winter
55. Love to make people laugh even at my own expense
56. Great confidant even though I love to talk
57. I am extremely close to my mother
58. Spoil my kids with too much stuff
59. Not obsessed with germ free environment
60. Scared to death of any stinging insect (will run and scream)
61. Have a hard time channeling my 'inner child'
62. Always get the same thing at Baskin Robbins(mint chocolate chip and Rocky Road)
63. Low tolerance for stupidity and rudeness
64. Love reading celebrity trash magazines
65. Could never be a stay at home mom
66. Wish I had more patience with my kids
67. Like volunteering at my son's school
68. Could go to the beach for every vacation
69. Believe things happen for a reason (although that reason does not always show)
70. Will always wonder what having a girl would be like
71. Believe spanking does not make a child violent
72. Believe our current violent society is a product of 'time outs'
73. People who work deserve, people who dont work and can, do not deserve
74. Wish I could help every mistreated child
75. Love being part of something big whatever that may be
76. Enjoy listening to different types of music
77. I have become overly obsessed with the show 'Lost'
78. Hate panty lines and muffin tops...buy clothes that fit
79. 'Paris' by Tyler Candle is my favorite scent
80. I have always had a real Christmas tree
81. I love singing jazz music
82. Overdecorate for Christmas and Halloween
83. Must listen to Ipod when I exercise
84. Drink milk for every meal
85. Have reaonable expectations for my kids
86. Love to laugh so hard I cannot breath
87. Love to grill just about anything
88. Love to listen to my kids sing
89. Hit snooze >3 times every morning
90. Unusually high pain tolerance at my convenience
91. Don't like people to blow their noses at the table
92. I am not a tree hugger but I do pet the tree...no full on embrace
93. Love the smell of garlic cooking in anything
94. My towels and hangers have to all be facing the same direction in the closet
95. Love to cook but hate to bake
96. Collector of Peanut (Charlie Brown) Christmas ornaments
97. I do not own a pie pan or a cake pan
98. Love the smell of a campfire
99. As much as I hate to admit it....I love to shop....how girlie.
100. Last but not least, I obviously love to talk about myself...how else could I have made this list.

The Weekend

Wow, it is amazing how much one can look forward to a holiday weekend and then watch it go by so fast. I am having a hard time digesting that tomorrow is Monday. It is crazy. One minute I have four days and the next minute I have 12 hours. Again, how is that so? Our Thanksgiving was great. We went to my grandmother's house in Franklin and had the opportunity to see lots of family members that we only see a few times a year. Most of the great-grandchildren are boys so they all went outside and jumped on the trampoline, wrestled and other boy things. The food was great and I personally ate two full plates. I just could not help myself. My weakness is good food and company.
I ended up spending the night at my mom's house on Thursday night and went shopping on Black Friday. As sad as it is to say, this was my first glimpse into the bad economy I have had. We did not get there (Cool Springs Galleria) until after 7 a.m. and we drove right in and got a parking place. I met my friend Jinger and some of her family. It was sad to see such a small crowd but I liked it for my own selfish reasons.
I got back to my mom's house around 4 p.m. What a wonderful day of shopping. I was able to buy most of the boy's clothes. I still have some Santa toys to buy but other than that...I am done! THANK GOODNESS~
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with reflection and thanks. Even if things get rough, I feel they could always be worse.

The Hot Face

My youngest child is extremely animated. He loves to do and will do anything to get a laugh. I just don't know where he gets that from. (ahem) Currently, he has discovered his 'hot face'. This label is self descriptive. He discovered this face after he ate something extremely hot, made a crazy face, and received roars of laughter from us. Now, he does it on command.

Marshall also likes to go where anyone else is going. If he sees you preparing to leave, "I wanna go.", "I want kiss and hug" and he will snuggle up to you like a teddy bear.

I know this post does not give a lot of information about what has been going on. I guess I just needed a break for a while. I have promised myself to become diligent again. It has just been a crazy two weeks and something had to give. I am sure I lost several followers during my hiatus but I am back. I will leave you with a pic of the hot face. I hope you enjoy it as much as i do.

Yeah, It's Friday And Time For Fill Ins

1. Please feel free to always be up front with me.
2. When I open a new bag of charcoal I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is anything on the grill.
4. Spending time with family and friends is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about life is you never know what is in store or where it may lead you.
6. How my mind works always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up with old friends, tomorrow my plans include trying to stay warm and Sunday, I want to recover from the work week.

Things That Hurt

Having children provides the most amazing virtual roller coaster ride one could ever embark upon. I do not mean the actual 'having' of the children...more the 'raising' of the children. I cannot tell you how many times I have thought, "someone is getting ready to get hurt" and it happens. Today, both of my boys received a reality check in mortality.....or something like that.

First, Marshall...my adorable 2 year old, fearless of things that can hurt him and scared to death of things that cannot, weird. The only way to keep him happy while preparing any type of meal is to let him stand on the 2 step ladder we keep in the pantry. Mike had just finished making scrambled eggs for breakfast. He walks to the other side of the kitchen (his back is to the stove) and hears a horrendous scream from behind. I heard it all the way upstairs and when the 'non-breathing' part of the cry/scream came...I knew something horrible had happened. I ran down the stairs fast enough to beat Carl Lewis, I swear. Apparently, Marshall thought the eye on the stove looked pretty cool and decided to put his hand on it. Well, the rest is history. He had to eat his breakfast with his left hand in a bowl of cold water. After he finished breakfast, Mike started to take the burned palm out of the water and Marshall cried, "NOOOOO". It took some convincing but he finally complied. He now has a couple of blisters on his little, baby palm which he does not like anyone to touch. I guess now he has a full understanding of what HOT means. God love him.

Next, Michael...my lovely 8 year old that tends to be a trite melodramatic but I am sure that is my fault and Oprah will hear all about it in a few years. Anyway, if an accident will happen it will happen to him. I am speaking of bizarre accidents!!! We are all upstairs in the family room (rec room) whatever they are calling it now. I am on one end watching TV and the boys proceed to take 2 Little Tykes chairs out of the adjacent playroom. They start to push the plastic chairs around the pool table on the other side of the room, chasing each other. Somehow, the little chair Michael is pushing turns over and one of the plastic legs makes contact with his 'nurts'. Well, significant crying ensued as he limped over to me...funny I did not know it hurt his leg! I began to coddle and kiss his cheek...you're ok.....you're ok....are you feeling sick at your stomach?? No, he says. For some reason I thought nausea followed this type of racking incident. I think I have been given the wrong information. In Marshall's very cute attempt at empathy, he collapses to the floor, starts to cry and drags himself over to me. It is amazing how kids that young learn to care.

Happy Veteran's Day

If by the small chance I have anyone who has served in the military reading this..THANK YOU.
Thank you for sacrificing yourself in any way, big or small. Because of you, I can basically do whatever I want. I can work where I want, drive where I want, live where I want and I even have the right to write this blog and say whatever I want. I think most people have lost sight of this so I just wanted to remind them. My husband served in the military and the companies he has worked for have never let him off for this holiday. I think it is ironic how the state/federal offices close on this day and I venture to guess not even half of them have ever served in any military branch. I personally think this should be a mandatory day off for anybody who has but I am sure that will never happen.

Growing Up Fast

Marshall can officially count to 11! Yes, I know that sounds strange but that is where he stops. When I try to have him count to the next number, he screams NOOO! This is his favorite word. I think he is realizing the power behind it instead of just aping us. This morning he said the longest sentence in the history of his life. "I want to get up on the bed, Mommy." Who could turn down such a request with that sweet little voice. Oh, and did I mention he is quite bossy. He is constantly handing down directives like we are his loyal subjects instead of his family. I just don't know where he gets it! (Actually, I do know but I am not going to tell anyone)
I am also entering uncharted waters with him in regards to temper tantrums. This has become his new M.O. when he does not get what he wants. Even the smallest thing has him collapsing in the floor and letting out this short burst scream. My eldest never put on such displays so this is new to me. I am not sure if I should completely ignore him or swat his butt and then ignore him. If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears.

I Am The Worst Blogger In The World

I am officially the worst blogger in the world. I cannot believe it has been almost one week since I had an entry. Time is going so fast. While I am writing this, the family is watching Jeopardy. My 8 year old just questioned the answer (if you know what I mean). I am very impressed. The question was "Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.". I am so proud.
Mike celebrated his last birthday in the 30's last week (Thursday) and my sister in-law has made it safely back to Minnesota.
When we got home this afternoon, I dragged the kids down to the "lower level" so I could work out on the elliptical. Twenty minutes later, Marshall is pissed because he cannot ride one of Michael's old big boy bikes. The training wheels went bye bye a long time ago. I try to entertain him with various Christmas items down there but to no avail. He was not interested. We went out on the patio and the birds are going nutso! Migration is a weird but wonderful thing. I had the bright idea to pull out the Beebe gun (Fairly innocuous) and shoot into the trees. The boys thought this was awesome. You should have heard the oooohs and ahhhs as flocks of birds would light in the tree and then take off in a synchronized blob. Talk about cheap entertainment.
FYI: Christmas is only 45 days away!

Marshall's Big Boy Bed

We are officially experimenting with a big boy bed. Marshall has one of those 3 'n 1 deals and we have removed the bars!! He is now free to get and out of bed at his leisure. So far, so good. (I am knocking on wood while I am typing that...I am very talented). He has spent 3 nights in it and has actually stayed in it. In retrospect, I have a feeling the worst is yet to come. The first night of 'the new bed' we did not get home until 10 pm, so he was exhausted. Sunday night he was medicated with Triaminic because of a runny nose and cough. Monday night he was sick as a dog (see next post) and had no idea where he was sleeping and probably did not care!
For those of you who don't know, Marshall can be quite the turd. This comment is said with love and the utmost truth. He is also smart and tall for his age. He can unlock the doorknob and the bolt lock leading to the outside of the house. That is the last thing any Mom needs to worry about. A two year old wondering aimlessly in the great outdoors sans parents is never a good idea! Because of this, I have a gate posted outside of his door. That way if he gets up in the middle of the night, he cannot exit his room.
So, Monday morning Marshall gets up and proceeds to open his bedroom door. He stands at the gate and yells
Mommy, Mommy, Daddy, Daddy....I wake up...Mommy, Mommy...I wake up. Grinning from ear to ear. Of course this does not have the same weight if you cannot hear it but it was sooo cute.

Family In Town

This week we finally get to see Mike's sister again. It has been since July of 2007 since we have seen her. My husband's family is from Minnesota, for those of you who don't know that. Therefore, all of his family live there except for him. I convinced him to stay in Tennessee after we met with my powers of persuasion and a little Jedi mind trick! Seeing as MN is 1000 miles away, we do not get to see his side of the family much. Thankfully, his parents have become snowbirds and stay in Cookevegas during the winter. We used to make an attempt to fly there once a year but with 4 plane fares to buy along with soaring fuel prices......well....fill in the rest.
Dawn (Mike's sister) loves her nephews very much. She was the first person to go 'camping inside' with my oldest when he was just a tike. Why had I never thought of something that cool. I need to step out of the mom box more but I have grown comfortable with my six sided area.
Anyway, she has become a rock star this week because she has also brought her lab, Sailor. My boys love dogs and Sailor loves kids...PERFECT!
I am sure the visit will fly by. She arrived late Friday night and will begin the arduous ride home early Friday morning. We will certainly hate to see her go.

Halloween Holiday With Decor Sidebar

Ok, so I am a total loser. I have so many blog entries in my head from over the weekend but I waited. Now, I have 3 blogs to enter on the same day which occurred over a span of time plus a new happening for today!! Sorry! I may even wait until tomorrow to finish. I am a constant procrastinator.
So, Halloween was wonderful. I got lazy and decided not to cook for the next door get together. Instead, I had Mike pick up 4 orders of Southwestern Egg Rolls from Chili's.......YUUUMMYYY! Put those bad boys on a holiday appropriate plate....bammo...you have instant happiness. There were tons of people attending. Most of them were from church or school. I was able to socialize some but with the pool still open...well I have a two year old....do the math! Their pool is heated so those lucky fellas are able to keep it open later than normal.....I am jealous!
My crew went trick or treating around our neighborhood first. This entourage included my husband, kids, and mom. As I mentioned two posts ago, only a handful of houses in our neighborhood participate in this holiday. Seeing as there are only 14 houses, it does not take long. Mom, Marshall, and I abandoned ship at that point and Mike took Michael to the adjacent neighborhood. Mom and I stayed behind to give out candy. Although our area is small, people flock here. I went through 2 bags of candy from Sam's Club which is over 250 pieces of the good stuff. Apparently, big houses equal good candy in some people's minds because we had over 1o0 trick or treaters. In the end, I was going through Michael's candy and pulling out things he cannot eat (braces) like Tootsie Rolls, bubble gum and Laffy Taffy in order to keep up. Our last trick or treater came at 8:43 p.m. Thank goodness. I was tired and ready for bed!! I am so old!
By the way, I found out at Michael's class party that he received the student of the week. I just had to brag a minute. Last but not least, feast your eyes on these gorgeous pumpkin topiaries. I know everyone has been waiting with bated breath.