The Izz

Izzy post surgery...he was quite puny the first day home...drunk kitty side effect. The other cats sniffed and growled on his return to the nest, but being the Izz that he is he took control. He is back to his old self...chasing and harassing the others...strutting around as if he owned the house and being very vocal.

I Have a Secret

Struggled with a topic today, several ideas did surface but the mental dialogue nixed most of them.

Reason #1…My Kids Know How To Read!

I thought of dirty little secrets that we all have…I have many…so I am going to share one today.

I AM HAIR APPLIANCE CHALLENGED

Whew that feels better…I am owning it…I can not operate any type of hair appliance.

I have given the task many efforts only to be humiliated and afraid to leave the house. Therefore it has been determined that the only choice I have it to apply a little bit of product and let it dry. I have always wanted to be one of those women that could blow dry their hair to perfection or be the Michelangelo of the curling iron. But that is not my destiny…nope I am a wash and go type. So be it…I will embrace fate.

Side note…PooPo is such a camera hog…as soon as she saw what I was doing she had to be in the shot.

How Southern Are You?

Are You A Yankee or a Rebel?

Came across one of those "Time Waster Test" that I find so amusing (does not take much).

My score:

65% Dixie.Well under the Mason-Dixon Line

Really thought it would be higher...guess my English Major Mother did have an influence :)

Take the test and please let me know your score you can find the test here.

Think I Have an Issue

, originally uploaded by LSB336.

After watching several DVR'd hours of The Dog Whisper I believe Mr. Spike Lee and I have an issue...he really thinks he is the pack leader...the shhhh'd poke is going to be implemented!

Watching History

A Monday Photo

This is Big T's bed by default.

When we first moved in Big T had his own room...Little M and I shared the master bedroom. After a couple of years T's room just became a closet for him...its only use was to store his stuff. When he did stay the night he would always sleep on the couch. Soooo one day last summer I decided that it was time for Little M to have her own room. Since T was not using it to sleep in why not give it to a child that would! He was not to happy over the change but hey at 20 and still living at home what could he say :).

It is a Happy/Sad Day

My baby is turning the big 10 today! And it is hard to believe that my little sassy, spunky spit fire is entering the double digits. As all moms know it seems just like yesterday that we were holding the little ones in our arms.

Little M is one of my two "Oh Wow" babies...only have one child that was planned....honestly I think (may be wrong) most children are "Oh Wow" babies. She was the best surprise I ever could of had for many reasons. One being that I just knew she was going to be a boy (already had two), I really did not think her father could produce a female. Second, her "Oh Wow" status came at one of the top five lowest points in my life. The knowledge of her growing inside of me got me through an extremely rough time in my life.

I have so many hopes and dreams for her, but the only ones that count are HERS...my only wish is that she grows into a strong and compassionate woman. I see the strength already...she is a take no crap girl...guess the older brothers have helped with that. And I see the compassion with all the animals in the house.


She is my little singing beauty that is growing up regardless of what I want. I have one major selfish desire...and that is...she and I have the same wonderful and loving relationship when she is an adult that my mother and I had.

Happy Birthday Little M...I love you with all my heart - felt to the bottom of my soul.

I Did It, I Did It

Being a mom for over 20 twenty years I have come to realize that Super Mom status is hard to come by and almost impossible with all the children simultaneously.

But I achieved the highly acclaimed Super Mom title today with one (note he is the only child with me this week)!

The youngest boy child Little H requested a bike for Christmas, I was able to deliver the said item after a long search on CriagList...ummmm was going to be used and he new it...Santa was unemployed this year.

Luck was on my side...found a 1984 Greg Hill Replica dirt cheap! Little H was in love at first sight. The bike was in great shape to be as old as it is....only one problem...the tires started to dry rot this past week.

So Little H has struggled several times to get the wheels off and no help from any other members of the household (and honestly he is a little stubborn such as I am...hate to ask for help). This afternoon when he came in he started again trying to get the wheels off. I asked if he wanted some help...he begrudgingly accepted...I am sure his thought was as a female what could I do.

Do you see it???? No wheels...me Ms. Not Mechanically Inclined did it! And trust me I have no sense about tools and such you can real about it here.


I even got the tires and rubber insides off of the wheels :)

Yep I had Super Mom Status...he was doubting if he could get the wheels off much less Mom!

Soooo since I was on a roll how about a great dinner...yea! I can do that!


Tooting my horn here it turned out great!

Of course the clean up was not something I was looking forward to...



How does one little meal cause such a disaster?







Order has been restored and now it is time for laying in bed watching TV or reading not sure yet which I shall do...

Note...in the time it took to upload and write this post I have lost the Super Mom Status...Little H asked about having an allowance and I snickered and said ummmm hell no...Mom + No Job =No allowance...I received the ever popular "Whatever"

And Life Goes On :)

Mr. Pissy Izzy

Izzy is a beautiful cat but has the "Tom Cat" attitude...hates to be held and only pet him when he request the attention. He is the one cat out of the four that has the most "Cat Attitude".

Well his day has come...snip snip...as I giggle in an evil manner...I am hoping he will become the lover kitty as Mr. Fritz is...only time will tell.

Well, S-man and I are off to take the attention deprived Mr. Spike Lee to Petco...poor boy...having to share a household with four cats :(.

First Entry for i heart faces

A new blog has started (visit here) that is all about captured faces in photography. Just up my alley. This is my first submission...the shot was taken in the hospital room after my fathers surgery last spring.

Call Me a Geek or Whatever

The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S

There are very few things I truly desire in life and the above is one! One day we shall be together.

Crazy Day

It was a Crazy Wednesday!

Woke up at 5:45 AM to my 13 year old son yelling at me...MOM! Why is the power going off?? Did you Pay the Bill? As I tried to focus in an un-caffeinated state my clock was blinking the bright red numbers of 12:00...

I informed Mr. SmartyPants that the power company does not disconnect for non payment till business hours and that yes the bill has been paid!

And then it happened again and for good...lights out!

"Well...alright...here we go" I tired to get a view of the outside world but all was...well as you know BLACK...sooo the mental dialogue began...

Hmmm its has rained the past day wonder if it turned into ice Yea that's it power lines are down due to ice

(Squinting and straining to see outside) does not look like ice...just looks wet

Wow it is really raining hard Wonder if school is still happening

Crap that means both of them will be home and I will hear bitching and moaning all day...please let there be school...please let there be school...

"Hey H do you have the number to the school?" So H calls the school and school is still a go.

YEA!!!!

H goes on to the bus stop it is now 6:30 AM...at 6:42 I get a call...

"Mom! I am soaking wet...the bus should of been here...I think it left me...it is dark and creepy out here...Come Get Me!"

I get H, he then changes clothes and I take him to school...as I am returning and pull back into the neighborhood all the street lights magically light up our world :)

The rest of the morning went well...S-man came home from the Fire Station in time to take Little M to school and then we just ran errand and bummed around. The sun was shinning it was a beautiful day.

Then after the kids returned home from a hard day of reading, spelling and math the sky took on a strange and fast moving form.


The clouds were dark and rolling.


In no time the sleet started.

It was a very odd day in the weather department...rain and over turned trees to sun shinning then morphing into desolate sky with sleet then back to sun.

Today has be a great bland day...just have to get my phone working...strange how I have become so attached to my BB.

Two Years

The tree has been placed outside waiting for it's last road trip.

The ribbons, bows and wrapping paper are back in storage.

Ornaments and Jingle Bells are packed away till next year.

I am relieved that it is all over for now...try as I might...not sure I will ever fully enjoy Christmastime.

"Fake it Till You Feel" is still applied for life goes on even if there is large part of your heart gone.

Would she have been proud...probably not...would she have still loved me...Yes, this I am certain of.

Two years ago today my best friend was laid to rest...the tears have dried for the most part...but an emptiness will always remain.

HER HANDS

Holding my small fist around the spoon as we stirred the batter.

Guiding my small fingers over the keys of the piano.

Covering my small hands as she taught me how to kneed the dough.

The hands that were always there to hold mine.

Always there and willing to take mine regardless if in joy and celebration or in sadness and disappointment.

I will always think of her hands, I will truly miss the surge of love and home I felt in her hands.

The Last E-mail I read for 08

Position at XXX Builders

...

Leslie XXXXXXXX

...

December 31, 2008 3:52:39 PM

To:lbethea336@XXXXX.com

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to our office manager search. With so many qualified applicants it was a hard decision, but we have filled the position and we wish you well in your own job search and career endeavors.

Leslie Xxxxxxx, CAPS, CGP
XXX Builders, Inc.
336.XXX.XXXX

Granted this was sent close to 4:00 PM but it did not reach my blackberry till 9:00 PM...I read it and gave the phone to S-man and said no more! So lets see if 09 will bring a better response to my search.